The Promise Made
by misscharmed
Summary: Blaming himself for Gideon's betrayal and the death of future Chris, Leo promises to his newborn son that he will protect his family - no matter what the cost. Years later Piper and her sons struggle to bring Leo home.
1. Default Chapter

**Prologue**

"I'm here to see Christopher Halliwell please."

The nurse looked up at the voice. "Certainly sir – are you family?"

"He's my son," Leo said, the quiet pride he had for his son noticeable.

The nurse smiled gently, "Congratulations, sir. I think he just woke up from his nap. You can have a seat in our sitting room, I'll go get him for you."

Leo watched as the nurse left her desk and bustled through the glass doors to the main nursery, he then stepped into the sitting room to the left. Circus animals paraded around the room. Smiling tigers, laughing monkeys, blushing giraffes all watched as the new father made himself comfortable in the available rocking chair.

"Here you are Mr. Halliwell," the nurse said quietly, "Here's your Christopher."

Leo held out his arms to accept his 8-hour old son, "Thank you. Actually, it's Mr. Wyatt – but you can just call me Leo," he said to the nurse.

The nurse's cheeks slightly tinged with pink, "I'm sorry sir – I mean, Leo." She smiled as she noticed the man hadn't even heard her apology. He was too focused on the new life in his arms. Before she shut the door, she heard the man begin to talk to his son in soft, hushed tones.

Leo gazed at the little man in his arms – Piper and I created you. "Hello Christopher – Chris. I want you to know your mom and I created you out of the love we have for each other. That love encompasses you. I don't know what's going to happen next, but I do know that I will always be there for you. I'll protect you Chris." Hazel eyes blinked back tears as Leo's thoughts flew back to his youngest son – not the few hours old baby in his arms, but the twenty-something adult that had come back from the future, sacrificing everything to save his family – including himself.

The small newborn gurgled gently and grabbed his father's finger with his tiny fist, letting him know he loved him and needed him too.

Suddenly, it was all too much for Leo. His mentor betraying him, his family jeopardized, his youngest son dead, the murder that was on his hands. As he blinked back his tears, Leo made a promise.

I'm so sorry Chris – I don't understand why you were taken away from us. I don't understand why Gideon would betray me – us like he did. I want you to know he's dead Chris. I killed the man who took you away from us. I killed him with my bare hands. He will never harm our family again and I'll make sure that no one ever harms you or our family ever again. I swear to you Chris…

* * *

It was another endless night in the Underworld. The burning smell of brimstone poisoned his nostrils as the blue orbs faded and he arrived. He hated the smell, hated everything that was connected to this place, but that didn't stop him from spending most of his days and nights down here. You had to go where the demons were in order to vanquish them.

He hadn't been there for five minutes and already his short-sleeve shirt was damp with sweat. It was the stale heat that saturated the air that made the place unbearable.

There was no specific target that day. He just orbed to a spot and waited. Waited for demons to come along. It didn't matter if they were low or high level demons – they would all disintegrate once he fired his energy bolts at them.

His wait was not long. Two demons entered the cavern he was sitting in. There was no hesitancy in his actions, he stood and immediately shot the demons with energy blasts. There was no mercy. His soul demanded revenge for the betrayal of his family. Nothing could soothe the pain in his heart – not the touch of his wife, not the sounds of his sons playing, he had been betrayed. All of demondom would pay.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Leo! Leo!" Piper called out, her tone of voice was clearly marked with exasperation, her legs pacing the conservatory in an effort to dispel extra frustration. _If Leo doesn't get here soon, I'm never going to be able to go over inventory and place the supply order this afternoon, _Piper thought. _He's never around anymore, he's always too busy. _

Suddenly, little Chris' wails distracted Piper from her train of thought. She walked to her youngest son's bassinet and noticed immediately his favorite stuffed animal, a hippo Leo had left in his crib for him last week was missing. Looking around, she noticed the animal was being held by Wyatt.

"Wyatt – you need to give Harold the Hippo back to your brother." Piper told the blond little boy as she tried to quiet Chris by picking him up and bouncing him on her hip. Piper knew the attempt was useless, this was the fifth time Wyatt had orbed the animal from his brother and each time Chris' wails intensified until he was cuddled up next to his daddy's present once more.

Six months had passed since Piper and Leo had brought home the youngest edition to their family and Wyatt was still getting used to the fact that he wasn't the only growing witch seeking his mommy's attention.

The toddler half-witch, half-whitelighter blinked at his mother's request. Not sure he was willing to part with the animal and be nice to his little brother. Piper pleaded as the wails jumped an octave, "Please Wyatt – you can play with the fire truck Daddy just gave you. We'll even build a house for the truck to live in, okay?"

A swirl of blue and white orbs placed the purple hippo into Piper's outstretched hand. "Hey peanut," she said to Chris, using his special name. "Quiet down now – Harold's here – see?" Upon seeing the hippo, the baby's wails immediately ended and he threw out a tiny fist to grab his favorite thing to cuddle.

Piper gently lowered her youngest son and the animal into his bassinet to resume his early afternoon nap. She was thankful the little guy could go to sleep at the drop of a hat, it made parts of the day much easier. Piper turned on the baby monitor and slipped the other one in her back pocket as she made her way over to Wyatt. "Come here little guy, what do you say we go have a snack in the kitchen and play fire truck there?"

Wyatt blinked and pulled himself up slowly. As he stood, he flung one hand in the air, waiting for his mother's hand to catch his. A beat later, his mother's warm hand gently wrapped itself around his and together, with his new fire truck, walked into the kitchen for a snack.

* * *

Piper smiled as she watched Wyatt happily zooming his fire truck back and forth on the kitchen floor. "Leo! Leo!" she called. 

_Where is he? He barely comes when I call anymore. The boys miss him so much, they need him – I need him. _Piper knew Leo hadn't been the same since the betrayal of Gideon and their son's death. Something had happened to him during his visit with Chris in the nursery – something in him had changed. She had tried to get him to talk, but Leo refused, insisting he was fine. There were weeks when they saw him for only a few hours, he would orb into their bedroom in the middle of the night, when she and the boys were fast asleep. He would kiss the boys, take a shower and then climb into bed with her. The two of them would have a sleepy conversation about the boys and then, in the morning, before she woke, he would leave. At first, Piper thought he was always "Up There," but even if he was with the other Elders he would come when she called for him. There was only one place Piper knew of that Leo could not hear her calls – the Underworld.

"Le-" Piper's call was interrupted by the swirling of orbs. As the orbs faded away they revealed not Leo, but her younger sister Paige. "Oh." Piper exclaimed, somewhat disappointed.

" 'Hello Paige, it's nice to see you today – my do you look lovely, is that a new top?' 'Why thank you Piper, and yes, it is a new top – I got it last week at that nifty little boutique in the Embarcadero.' " Paige mimicked a conversation between herself and her older sister.

"I'm sorry Paige – I was calling for Leo. He's supposed to spend some time with the boys this afternoon. They were going to go to the park with him while I placed orders at P3."

Paige half-smiled, her eyes giving away her concern for her sister and brother-in-law. She and Phoebe had talked about Leo's recent disappearing act and were concerned, but neither wanted to mention it to Piper – they knew she was worried about her husband enough without their adding fuel to the fire. "Well, I'm done at Magic School for the day, I can take the boys to the park," Paige offered, kneeling down next to her nephew and his fire truck. "Wyatt – you want to go to the park with Chris and your Auntie Paige? On our way home we'll stop and get ice cream, does that sound like fun?"

Wyatt's blue eyes lit up with the words ice cream, he immediately abandoned his truck and clapped his hands together in anticipation of an ice cream.

Piper sighed with relief, it looked like she might be able to get some things done at the club yet today. "Thank you Paige – that would be terrific," Piper said gratefully as she gathered up her bag, car keys and day planner, "Chris is in the conservatory finishing his nap. You can wake him up anytime. Their toys and jackets are already packed in the diaper bag." Piper bent down and picked Wyatt up, carrying him into the conservatory on her hip. "You're going to be a good boy with Auntie Paige at the park today right Wyatt? No orbing your brother or his hippo away from him, okay?" Piper gave her son a squeeze and a kiss and passed him off to Paige who had followed them from the kitchen. Gently, Piper leaned over the edge of the bassinet and gave her baby boy a kiss on the forehead, "I'll see you soon peanut."

Piper turned around from the bassinet and addressed Paige once more, "Don't forget Harold – Chris' hippo, he doesn't want to be without it. Wyatt kept orbing it from him today and trust me, you don't want to hear the wailing that is incurred."

Paige nodded, barely keeping up with the whirlwind Piper had become in an effort to get out the door. She balanced Wyatt on her hip and followed her sister to the front door. "Have a great time with the boys Paige – I'll see you later!" Piper exclaimed as she shut the door behind her. Paige looked at Wyatt, "Whew! Your mommy is –" she began, only to be cut off by Piper sticking her head back in the door, "Oh, and Paige, no ice cream. We don't want to spoil anyone's dinner." With a quick smirk, Piper once again shut the door behind her and was off.

Paige looked down at the nephew in her arms, "Your mommy is such a spoilsport Wyatt. What do you say we split a two-scoop sundae? You want hot fudge, sprinkles, nuts and whipped cream too?" Wyatt just giggled at his Auntie Paige, he loved going to the park with her.

* * *

He orbed into their bedroom hungry and tired. He had tracked down several vulture demon packs and destroyed all of them. He had even managed vanquish a group of power brokers who had been trading demonic powers. 

Leo sighed and sank into the rocking chair Piper used when the boys couldn't sleep. A slight smile haunted his face as Leo saw within his memory images of Piper rocking each of the boys to sleep, reading to them, nursing them, and singing lullabies to them. He slipped off his boots and out of his clothes heading to the shower, he didn't want Piper to smell the brimstone on him.

Once in the bathroom, he flicked the light switch and turned the shower on. He stepped into the steaming shower – the hot water felt good on his muscles – it had been a long day – long week even. Leo strained to remember when he was last home with Piper and the boys. _Was it three days ago? Or four? No – wait, it was seven. Piper's going to kill me – or worse, blow me up. _

Piper heard the shower running and knew Leo was home finally. For a moment she debated on going back to sleep, Chris had just begun to sleep through the night and it was going to take the next year for Piper to catch up on the sleep she had lost in the last six months. Instead, she pushed back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. As she was pulling on her robe, she noticed the pile of Leo's clothes on the floor in front of the rocking chair. Piper smiled lightly, _some things never change,_ she thought, remembering over the last five years how many times she had picked up his clothes and put them in the laundry basket. He knew where it was, he just never managed to get anything in it. There was a faint smell of burning on the clothes – it was familiar to Piper, but she couldn't place it. Knowing that it had to do with where Leo was spending all of his time nowadays, she made a mental note to discuss the smell with Phoebe and Paige the next day.

By this time the shower had stopped and Piper could hear Leo moving around the bathroom softly. She moved towards the bathroom and watched him from the doorway. Leo had wrapped a dark blue towel around his waist and was shaving in the mirror. Half of his face was covered with shaving cream the other half was clean and slightly reddened. She watched as he rinsed the shaver in the half-full sink.

Leo knew Piper was watching him, he could feel her eyes following his motions with the razor. He had felt her wake when he was still in the shower – her presence was potent, it took extra concentration to finish shaving.

As he dried his face, Piper walked over to Leo and came up from behind him, wrapping her small arms around his waist she placed her cheek on the smooth skin of his back. "Hey," she murmured.

For a moment Leo relished the smallness of her body pressed against his. God, how he hated leaving her and the boys, but he had made a promise to Chris and he was going to keep it. "Hey," he replied softly.

"You were gone a week this time, you know."

"I'm sorry Piper – I know I was supposed to be back last week to find out how Chris' check-up went."

"Where do you go Leo?"

Leo pulled Piper's arms open and turned around to face her. She still did not look up, her gaze captured by the tile pattern on the floor. Keeping his hold on one of her hand's, Leo reached out and delicately took Piper's chin between his thumb and forefinger and pulled her gaze from the floor to his eyes. "I want you to know that even when I'm not here, I think about you and the boys all the time. I'm trying to protect our family, make this world safer for all of us. I'm going to do my best to come home more often Piper – for you and the boys, I promise."

Piper just nodded. It was a promise she had heard before. It was a promise Leo just couldn't seem keep. "You didn't answer my question Leo. You were supposed to take the boys to the park this afternoon. I called for you – why didn't you come?"

Leo closed his eyes, silently berating himself for forgetting his park date with the boys. "I'm sorry Piper – I'll make it up to them tomorrow. I'll make it up to you tomorrow – I promise."

"Really? Are you going to stick around for us long enough to talk? Or are you going to orb before the sun comes up again?"

"I will stay around here tomorrow – the whole day. We'll talk and then together we'll take the boys to the park."

And Piper was relieved. She knew no matter how distracted Leo would not lie to her. He would not leave in the middle of the night. The two climbed into bed. Both were exhausted, both restless.

Leo sighed, tomorrow he would tell Piper where he spent his time. Tomorrow he would tell her of the promise he made to Chris. Tonight, though, tonight he would simply hold her.

* * *

"I just want to know where you're spending all of your time these days Leo! I'm tired of never knowing where you are or when you're coming home. I'm tired of the boys not having their father around – did you know that Wyatt's working on running? You're missing so much by not being here. What's more important than your family?" It was eight o'clock in the morning and already the Manor was vibrating with Piper's anger. 

"Piper – please listen to me – I'm trying to protect our family. Nothing is more important to me than you and the boys. I'm trying to make the world safer for them."

"How Leo? Where do you go? What do you do?" Piper demanded as she slammed another cupboard door shut. She was getting breakfast ready while trying desperately to understand.

"I spend my time in the Underworld Piper. I go there to vanquish demons. To try and make this world a safer place for our sons. I will protect my family – I will protect you – I will protect our sons! I refuse watch any of you die at the hand of a demon!" The anger haunting Leo's voice slammed into Piper with a coldness that took her breath away.

She knew Leo wasn't angry with her – he was still angry at what happened 6 months ago. A trusted friend, a fellow whitelighter – a mentor – had betrayed him, jeopardized his family and killed their youngest son in an attempt to kill their first born. Piper herself had barely gone outside for the first two months of Chris' life – in fact, the only place she and the boys saw outside the Manor was the doctor's office. But through holding her two sons everyday she had slowly been able to deal with the pain of the betrayal. It seemed as if Leo hadn't even begun to deal with it. His desperation clung to him as if it were a shadow. She watched as he sank into a chair at the kitchen table and buried his head in his hands.

"Leo," Piper said softly, approaching him, "It's okay to be angry. It's okay to be hurt. Gideon did an awful thing to all of us – but Chris is here, alive and happy."

Leo looked up from his hands and met the warm cinnamon eyes of his wife. She was kneeling next to him, both hands on his knee. "I made a promise to Chris – and I'm not going to break that promise Piper – I can't."

Piper sighed, she knew there was nothing she could do or say to convince Leo that his love as a father guaranteed his promise already fulfilled. She knew that Leo had to work through this in his own way, and one day, he would at last come home to stay. At least the boys would have today with their father.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Come on Chris – hurry up!" Eleven-year-old Wyatt urged his younger brother, the two had just spent the afternoon playing football in the park with some of their friends from the neighborhood. The brown-haired boy was a half block behind his older brother. "Quit dragging your feet, Mom told us there would be cookies for us when we got home!" Wyatt waited impatiently, tapping one foot on the cracked sidewalk of their neighborhood. God, his brother was a pain the butt when he wanted to be.

It was his brother's birthday today, he was turning ten. Wyatt always looked forward to his birthday – you got presents, cake, a chance to hang out with your friends, and, if you were really lucky, Mom would make some of her super-special chocolate cranberry pecan cookies. Wyatt was really excited about the cookies – well, those and the present he had gotten for Chris last week.

He couldn't wait for his brother to open his present. Wyatt had asked his Aunt Paige to take him shopping last week for the perfect present. Last Tuesday she took him to Chris' favorite store – a comic book shop in the Haight. Wyatt knew what he was going to get Chris before even entering the store.

A few months ago Chris had spotted a book "The Complete Story of Bruce Wayne." The volume was the first in a series of books, Chris had informed Wyatt that would include all of the original Batman comics. Chris was obsessed with Batman. One night, when reading his comics in bed, Wyatt had asked him why he only read Batman – why not Superman? Or Green Lantern? Or Plastic Man? Chris replied it was because Bruce Wayne was torn between two worlds just like him. The world in which he was Batman and the world where he was Bruce Wayne. Wyatt remembered for the next week he called Chris Batman and acted like Batman's corny sidekick Robin.

It had taken Wyatt the last three months of saving his allowance to get the first volume of the Bruce Wayne series for his brother, but he knew the sacrifice was worth it – no matter how much of a pain in the butt he was, Chris was his little brother and they had to stick together.

"Chris – hurry it up! Mom's got cookies waiting for us!" Wyatt repeated, they were almost home – another 2 blocks and they would be at the Manor.

Chris just kept dragging his feet despite his brother's urgings to the opposite. He hated his birthday – every year his mom and the aunts would spoil him. It didn't matter how many presents he got or how many pieces of cake he ate, nothing would make up for his father never being there. Every year it was the same wish when he blew out the candles, "I wish my dad would come back from where ever he is to Mom and Wyatt and me." One year, his sixth birthday, his dad came home the day after his birthday. Chris believed his wish had come true, but in a week he was gone again and Chris was left listening to his mother's patented excuse, "Your father has some very important business to do Peanut, but he'll be back to see us as soon as he can." And even though he was ten today, Chris still harbored the private wish for his father to come to his birthday.

Wyatt stood as his slowpoke brother approached him. He knew what Chris was thinking about – knew why he was dragging his feet. He was thinking about Dad.

Although two years older, Wyatt was already several inches taller than his brother. He slung an arm across Chris' shoulders. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Nothing," Chris mumbled.

"Look, Chris, Dad would be with us if he could, but he can't be right now. Mom said that he's doing this really important stuff and we gotta understand."

"I know Wy – I just – I just wanna see Dad."

"I miss him too Chris. And I know misses us."

Chris looked up from the line of ants that had been walking on the very edge of the sidewalk to look at his brother, green eyes filled with hope, "Really?"

Wyatt grinned, "Yeah, really. Now, can we get going home?"

Chris smiled hesitantly, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to miss my surprise party." Wyatt glanced at Chris, quickly he thought back over the conversations he had with his brother in the past week. "It's okay Wyatt, you didn't let on," Chris said, guessing his brother's thoughts, "Aunt Paige blew for me a couple of days ago."

"We don't want to disappoint Mom then, right?" Wyatt asked, grinning at his younger brother. A shared look of mischief passed between the boys and suddenly, without warning, they bolted in the direction of the manor – each straining to be the first one to the front door.

* * *

Ten years. It had been ten years since his son died. It had been ten years since his son was born. It had been ten years since he swore he would protect his family no matter what the cost. 

He rarely went home anymore, it was easier to track demonic activity if you lived in this wretched place. His body had even grown accustomed to the heat and his eyes saw perfectly in the blackness. Leo surveyed his surroundings – bleak darkness entrapped jagged rocks – only rock existed here. He struggled to remember the last time he saw a flower, or saw a cloud float in front of the sun or even felt blades of grass tickle the underside of his feet.

There was movement further along the corridor he was in moving towards him. Leo paused, tensed and allowed his body to become invisible. A minute passed before the Kroateh passed by. Leo listened to their conversation, smothering the urge to kill them on sight. He needed to know if they had any new information on the upper level demon who was trying to reinstate order in the Underworld. He had heard about the new threat through a conversation between power brokers he had vanquished yesterday.

He followed the two demons for awhile – mostly they were discussing what had happened at the Demonic Market the day before. Unknowingly, the Kroateh led the rogue Elder to their lair. It had the same smell, the same scenery as the rest of the Underworld – blood, brimstone and rocks. The skeleton pile in the corner made Leo gag – it was three, perhaps four feet tall, rotting pieces of flesh still hung off some of the bones.

There were ten Kroateh in the cavern, laughing and boasting about this kill or that power. And that was the moment Leo chose to strike. He could not squelch the desire to vanquish any longer. Still invisible, he let a barrage of lightning loose. Two of the demons exploded much to the surprise of their companions. Moving quickly, and still invisible, Leo ran into the center of the group, sending lighting out in a multitude of directions seemingly at the same time. He made himself visible at the end of his attack, when there was a single Kroateh. The demon was badly burned, but still alive. His last image was of a man, a rogue Elder, with no mercy.

* * *

Leo had yet to celebrate the birthday of his youngest son. Ten years had passed since Gideon's betrayal, future Chris' death and present day Chris' birth. Ten years had passed and Leo was still hunting demons. Piper gave a small moment of silence to the son she had lost. 

Piper thought back to the first few years of Chris' life – Leo had been around a lot more then. He would come home at least every other week. But as the years went on, he came home less and less. She or the boys hadn't seen or heard from Leo for over three months now. She knew the recent lack of demon attacks was thanks to Leo.

It was thanks to Leo that their sons had some semblance of normal childhoods. They both attended regular schools and had mortal friends. Wyatt played football in the fall, basketball in the winter and soccer in the spring and summer. He had even competed in a recent multi-district spelling bee. And Chris – Chris was happy being a ten-year-old boy. He played in tree forts with the neighbor kids, went sailing with his grandfather almost every Saturday afternoon, loved remote control race cars and excelled in science.

She thought of all the milestones Leo had missed: Chris' first steps, Wyatt's first day of school, the day Chris came home from kindergarten with a picture he drew of Leo, Wyatt's first lost tooth (and the discovery that the tooth fairy was real), and so many, many more. Piper wished, for a split second, that things had gone differently, that she had married Dan and attempted a normal life. But then she wouldn't have her boys – and they meant the world to her.

"Hey sis – penny for your thoughts?" Paige pranced into the kitchen with her son Perry bouncing on her hip, interrupting Piper's reverie.

Piper turned and smiled at her bouncy younger sister and her nephew. "Hey Paige – is everything all set in the conservatory for Chris' birthday party? The boys should be home any minute."

"Yup. Decorations are hung, presents are stacked, platters of Chris' favorite foods are garnished and our party animals – Phoebe, Jason, Prudence and Will are waiting anxiously in the conservatory. By the way, I don't trust Prudence and Will – they're eyeing up that cake you baked like it was the last food on the planet and they haven't eaten for six years."

For a moment Piper marveled at the amount of energy her sister at seven months pregnant had. Pregnancy and children agreed with Paige. Piper laughed, "You can tell our niece and that husband of yours they have to wait for Chris and Wyatt or they'll have to answer to me." It was a hollow threat – years with children had tempered Piper's previous short fuse. She had changed over the years, become softer around the edges, more mellow. No longer were things done in excess or held up to the unattainable goal of perfection. "Go and sit down Paige – just give me a moment, I want to put the finishing touches on Chris' birthday card."

Paige observed her oldest sister. At 40 Piper looked incredible – she had kept her hair long all of these years, however, recently she had begun to wear her hair up regularly in loose buns or chignons. She still had a glow in her cheeks that made strangers estimate her age around thirty-something. But her eyes betrayed her. There was always a veil of sadness lurking in the depths that always surfaced when her boys weren't around. That sadness had now taken over. Paige knew she was thinking about the past, about Gideon, their Chris from the future and of course, Leo. Still bouncing Perry on her hip, she walked over to Piper and put her arm around her shoulders, "Ten years," she said, waiting for Piper to finish the thought.

Piper kept her gaze going straight out the window above the kitchen sink – she knew if she met Paige's gaze there would be nothing stopping her from breaking down. "A very long ten years," Piper finished for Paige.

"Is Leo coming?" Paige asked.

"I don't know. He's never celebrated a birthday with Chris before – but this – I just don't know."

"Auntie Piper?" Perry interrupted the adult conversation, "Can we have cake now?"

Piper smiled at the little boy and counted her blessings one more time that day, "Not until Chris and Wyatt come home, but why don't you see if your mommy will let you have a cookie?"

Paige smiled at her son and thought how much she was looking forward to the next baby. Perry wanted a brother, but Prudence, Phoebe's daughter, wanted her to have a girl so she wouldn't be the only girl in the family. Paige and Will didn't care as long as the baby was healthy. "I think a cookie can be arranged," she said to her son, and then looked to Piper again, "Any time Piper – just let me know."

Piper nodded, grateful for the support of her sisters. "I'll be there in a moment."

Paige and Perry bounced out of the kitchen to join the others in the Conservatory and hunt down a cookie. Piper glanced around the kitchen, making sure that nothing was forgotten before joining the others. The milk was sitting out. _Phoebe… _Piper thought. As she put the milk back in the refrigerator she spied the picture of Chris and Wyatt that shared a magnet with a drawing of Perry's from preschool.

Her boys looked nothing alike – Wyatt was tall and broad-shouldered with blond hair – if he had been 90 or so years younger he could have been the identical twin of his father. Chris was shorter – in fact she had taken him to the doctor again last week about his height and the fact that he wasn't growing. He had narrow shoulders and dark brown hair like her. Wyatt was outgoing and boisterous. He loved practical jokes and played pranks on his friends at school all the time. Chris was solitary, he lost himself in books and music. He enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen with her – she practically had to beg Chris to go to the park with his brother earlier. Both of them had sharp green eyes, the eyes of their father. Wyatt's were always laughing while Chris' seemed to be haunted.

"Mom? Aunt Paige? Uncle Will? We're home!" Wyatt's shout brought Piper back to present time.

"Chris! Wyatt! Can you come to the conservatory for a minute?" Piper called out, moving to join everyone else.

* * *

It was well after his bedtime as Chris trudged up the stairs to the room he shared with Wyatt. It had been a really fun party – despite the absence of his dad. Uncle Jason had cut his business trip to Italy short so he, Aunt Phoebe and Prudence could celebrate his birthday with him. Perry had smashed cake all over Aunt Paige's face and started a small cake war. His mom had made all of his favorite foods – including her special cookies. After everyone was stuffed and couldn't eat any more, Grandpa had taken them all out to the movies. 

He sleepily changed into his pajamas and made his way across the hall to the bathroom he shared with Wyatt and Mom. After brushing his teeth, he shuffled groggily back to his bed. He grabbed his purple hippo off his nightstand and climbed into bed, snuggling himself and the hippo under the warm covers. It felt as if he had closed his eyes for 30 seconds before someone was waking him up.

"Chris? Hey, Chris – come on, wake up. I've got a surprise for you," Wyatt said, shaking his brother by the shoulders.

"Five more minutes Mom," Chris mumbled, rolling onto his other side and away from Wyatt.

"Chris! I've gotta give you something! Wake up!" Wyatt was starting to get desperate, he had to give Chris his present before his birthday ended. He had an idea, softly, so as not to disturb his mom or the rest of the family, Wyatt leaned over Chris and quietly said, "Demon."

Instantly the newly turned ten-year-old was wide awake. "Where? Demon? Wy – where's the demon?"

Grinning, the older of the two boys held out a very badly wrapped birthday present, "Sorry Chris – no demon – but I do have a birthday present for you. I wanted mine to be the very last one you opened."

Chris yawned then smiled at his brother, "Really? Cool!" Taking the present from Wyatt, he tore open the wrapping paper, "The Complete Bruce Wayne Story! Oh wow! Thanks Wy – oh, this is so cool!" As the wide-awake ten-year old began reading, Wyatt smiled, satisfied his brother was happy and got ready for bed himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The digital clock on the young boy's nightstand read 2:49 a.m. A man, exhausted, stood watching over the boy as he slept. Watching the boy was relaxing – peaceful. Two feelings this man did not come across very often anymore. He sat gently on the bed next to the boy – his boy. It had been months since he had been home. How did he grow so much in a few months? How did both of them?

In a low voice he began his confession. "I made a promise to you Chris. When you were 8 hours old, I promised you that I would protect you and your brother. That I would sacrifice myself so you and your mom and brother could have a good life – the life you each deserve." He wanted to reach out and hold his son but didn't want him to wake. "I'm sorry I'm not around a lot Chris – I'm sorry I am missing so much. I failed you once. I can't fail you again."

"You never failed him Leo."

Leo turned to the door, his wife of fourteen – or was it fifteen? – years stood in the doorway. She moved into the room, "You never failed any of us. You've protected us, cared for us and loved us. We never doubted your love – I never doubted your love." She was at his side now, her hand on his shoulder, her long hair curling and twisting like a flowing river down her back. "We have missed you though."

Inwardly, Leo sighed, he did not deserve her – he did not deserve the boys, but oh, how he missed them. Day after day he wished, dreamt, about being with his family – enjoying his wife and sons instead of hunting evil. For ten years the smells of blood and brimstone had stained his nostrils and his brain. But he was keeping his promise – he would not fail Chris again.

"Let's not wake them. Come on," Piper said as she pulled Leo up gently by the hand and led him out of their sons' room and across the hall into theirs.

Leo shut the door behind them. In the warm light of their bedroom Piper could see the fatigue in her husband's eyes. Those wonderful green eyes. Once they had been full of life, love and happiness, but after so many years of fighting evil, the light had faded and there was a dull longing in them now. His hair had grown long and was matted with dirt and sweat, a full beard covered the bottom half of his face.

"I knew you would come tonight. I'll get your shower ready," Piper said, going into the adjoining bathroom. She was careful to dim the lights knowing her husband's eyes couldn't take the strain after being in darkness for so long.

Leo just nodded and proceeded to undress for the shower. He knew Piper would throw out his clothes – they had been worn for months straight – so he did not bother to put them in the laundry hamper.

He walked into the bathroom where Piper was drawing his shower. Her back was to him as she tested the water temperature. "Where you waiting up for me?" Leo asked softly, his voice hoarse from the dryness of brimstone.

Piper turned and looked directly into his dull eyes – the emptiness had begun to frighten her. He was not the man she had fallen in love with, but she still loved him with everything in her being. She nodded, "Yes. And your shower is ready."

As he climbed in the shower, Piper made a move to leave and give him some privacy. He couldn't let her leave – her presence was healing. It restored his courage, his desire for life. He gently grabbed her wrist, "Don't go." Leo pleaded, "Please."

Nodding shyly, Piper tugged at the ties of her dressing gown. The satiny material slid to the floor without a sound as Leo pulled her into the shower with him. She remembered other times, happier times, when they had showered together in this very bathroom.

He wanted solace. The hot water steamed the shower and rolled down his skin, soothing his over-worked muscles. She reached behind him for the soap and washcloth and silently began to scrub away the dirt and brimstone. Tomorrow, she thought to herself, she would cut his hair.

Leo could feel the dirt being washed away from his body, the stink of brimstone slowly left his hair and pores – if only the stain on his soul could be washed away so easily. He didn't know exactly when it happened – no, that wasn't true, Leo knew when it happened. It was the first time he had gone to the Underworld to hunt and destroy. It was only a small dot then, perhaps the size of a grain of sand. He thought he would be able to control it - but it had grown, and now the stain threatened to steal away his hope – it was only the love for his wife and sons that fought the darkness back.

He marveled at the smallness of her frame – had she lost more weight? He leaned his head back into the water. Her body, now pressed against his as she rinsed shampoo out of his hair felt foreign to him and he longed to trace and memorize its new curves. He wondered how she would react if he kissed her.

Leo waited for a moment to gather the remaining flecks of courage he had. His hand was hesitant, but he reached out anyways and held her cheek in his hand. Piper smiled, her cinnamon eyes understanding his desire. After all, she knew all about desire. The desire for a normal life, the desire for a complete family, the desire to fall asleep next to her husband each night, the desire for her husband's touch.

In that first brush of the lips, Leo's hunger for life rose from hidden depths inside him and he was overwhelmed with passion. It was a feeling he had not experienced for a long time and he reveled in tingling sensation it left as it moved from his toes to his head. The rush of love shocked the hatred that clung to his heart and made him lightheaded. He spun Piper around and put her directly under the stream of water, one hand buried in her thick hair, the other around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He tried to be mindful of his beard, knowing that it would scratch and chafe, but Piper didn't seem to care – her lips, her body, was just as hungry as his.

* * *

Husband and wife were lying side by side in bed. She was on her back, arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. He was on his side, his head resting between her collar bone and neck. Under the covers their legs looked something like a New York Pretzel. 

"When are you going to come home for good?" Piper asked her husband, beginning the conversation they had every time he came home.

Leo sighed, he hated being apart from his family. He hated the Underworld. He hated the demons who threatened his family. Mostly, however, he hated himself.

She brushed her fingers lightly back and forth across his shoulder blades, "The boys talk about you all the time, you know. Everyday they ask about you and when you'll be home. They miss their father. They need you Leo – I need you. I know that you feel responsible for Chris' death, but there was nothing you could have done Leo – nothing. You need to confront your pain and release it."

There was no answer but silence to Piper's plea, she was desperate to reach him. For years he had been separated from her – not just physically, but mentally. In the early years of their marriage there had been a wavelength they shared – tuned to each other's thoughts and hearts – even during their separation Piper had still been able to read his heart – and Piper knew, he had been able to see into hers. But just moments earlier she had felt a faint glimmer of their old connection and it gave Piper hope – hope that Leo was ready to come home.

"Leo – you're running away from your pain. You've run away from it for ten years. Please, stop running. Come home." Silent tears were running down Piper's face. Leo watched as they fell from her cheeks to the bed sheets.

Leo was silent as he contemplated Piper's words – he had promised Chris he would take care of him, protect him – and for the first time in ten years, he doubted the way he was fulfilling that promise. He was so tired – of the pain, of the blood, of the Underworld, of the heat – of everything. He was running – running away from the man he had become. He hated himself. Hated that he had wasted so many years when he could have been with his wife and sons – watching them grow. He wanted his family again, but he didn't know how to join them. "I – I want to Piper – I want to more than you know. But I don't know how. The pain makes me hate, it grips me. I have so many sins, so much blood on my hands, I don't know how to forgive myself. I don't know how you can love a murderer." Leo pleaded to his wife, his dull eyes lit with fear and unshed tears, "That day haunts me, lives inside me and I'm – I – I want to tear it out. I want to rip myself open and pull that day out of my brain. I want rip out the hate and the anger and the fear. But they're all I know now. Help me, Piper. Help me come home."

Piper drew her husband closer to her as the tears he had held back for ten years spilled on their bed sheets. He had been her pillar of strength, her comfort. Now, it was time for her to be strong. For her to guide him.

"Shhhh….," Piper said, calming him as she did Chris and Wyatt when they woke from nightmares. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise you. You're home now, we'll take care of you."

* * *

Light filtered in through the curtains of Piper and Leo's bedroom, waking Piper. She hadn't gotten much sleep, she had lost track of time during the first few hours of the morning as she had comforted Leo. Though different from the man she had first fell in love with and married, her heart was still dedicated to him – perhaps even more now. They would vanquish his demons together. 

She knew Chris and Wyatt would be up soon and expecting breakfast. She longed to pull the covers over Leo and herself and shut out the rest of the world, but instead, she slipped out from under Leo's strong arm and their bed sheets. She would let him sleep, he needed it.

With as little noise as possible, Piper pulled on a lavender ribbed turtleneck and light brown suede pants. Instead of the usual high-heeled boots, Piper grabbed her favorite pair of slippers. She was pulling her hair back into the usual chignon as she left their room.

Paige and Will were already in the kitchen. Will with a cup of coffee, Paige with a glass of iced tea – her new drink of choice – and the Sunday paper spread out on the kitchen table. Perry, Piper assumed, was probably still asleep, something that was considered a minor miracle in the household. The boy had too much energy for everyone else's good.

"Good morning!" Paige greeted Piper as she walked into the kitchen.

Piper smiled at her sister and brother-in-law. Paige and Will had been married for what, six years now? They had bumped into each other at an herbal shop in Chinatown. Both had been reaching for the last bag of dried woodear. After what Paige said was a good thirty minutes of the "no-you-have-it" game, they decided to split the bag – and exchange phone numbers. On their third date both accidentally revealed that they were witches. Will was from a long line of conjurers. They were married in a hand-fasting ceremony similar to Piper and Leo's. Perry arrived about three years later. He had his mother's bubbly personality and zest for life, along with her whitelighter skills. Will had passed onto Perry his hazel eyes and black hair, along with the ability to conjure.

"Morning guys – any coffee in that pot for me Will?" Piper asked, headed to the kitchen table with a mug in hand. However, before she was able to reach it, Will had snatched the pot away.

"There's coffee in here, but I can't guarantee that it's for you – unless of course you're planning on making raisin-date-nut pancakes with some sausage, home fries and, for good measure, some bacon," Will teased.

"Just pour me a cup, would you?" Piper asked, handing Will her mug. "I had a rough night – Leo came home early this morning–."

"Leo came home?" Paige interrupted, looking up from the lifestyle section of the paper, "Is he okay?" Her brown eyes were sparked with concern for her brother-in-law. "Do the boys know he's here?"

"He's exhausted," Piper answered after taking a sip of the coffee Will had poured for her. "I'm going to let him sleep for as long as he needs. The boys don't know yet. Once they come down for breakfast I'll let them know." Putting her coffee mug down on the island, Piper turned to the refrigerator and dug behind the leftovers from yesterday for the pancake batter she had mixed up the day before, as well as the rest of breakfast's ingredients.

"Do you know how long he's staying?" Paige asked, sharing a look with her husband.

Piper answered after pulling herself out of the refrigerator, "I think," she began carefully, trying not to let too much excitement in her voice, "That he's going to be staying with us for a long time. I think he's coming home Paige."

Before Paige had a chance to respond, a small, slightly sleepy voice was heard from the door of the kitchen, "Who's coming home Mom?"

Piper turned in the direction of the voice and found her youngest son, still in his pajamas with his brother's birthday present tucked under one arm. She put down the food she was holding onto and approached her son. "Someone very special Chris – your daddy." She answered softly, bending down on one knee to look him in the eyes.

Chris' eyes immediately lit up, the Sandman's last bit of dust vanquished. "That's what I wished for mom! Yesterday at my party, when you told me to make a wish, I wished for dad to come and stay. Is he really going to stay this time?"

Piper smiled, "He really is."

"Cool! When's dad coming? Is he going to be in time for breakfast? Can I show him all the presents I got yesterday? Is he going to come sailing with me and Wyatt and Grandpa today? Does Wyatt know he's coming? Should I –."

"Honey," Piper interrupted the barrage of Chris' questions with a soft, firm voice. "Your daddy's up in our room sleeping right now. He got home really, really late last night and he's really, really tired. I'm not sure if he's going to get up in time for breakfast or have energy to go sailing today. But I know he'll have dinner with us and I know he'll want to see what you got for your birthday. Do you think you could go upstairs and get your brother up without waking your dad?"

Chris beamed, "Sure thing mom!" And he was off, his bare feet thumping against the hardwood and up the stairs leaving his mom, aunt and uncle to prepare breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

Wow. First of all, I just want to thank you guys for all of the support and reviews. It's my first fanfic and, I gotta say it's great to know there are people out there reading and enjoying it!

Gemini Piper: Thank you, thank you for being the first to review my story! And what a flattering review it was! Especially coming from you! I loved your fics Criminal Desires and Woman and Stuck and all of the rest of them!

Linn-LovesPiperLeo: Thank you! Unfortunately, the story is going to get a little dark in the upcoming chapters - but I promise, it will have lots of sweet moments! (And since I love happy endings, probably one of those too.)

Simone1: I'm really trying to make the characters real. I want them to become three-dimensional people we can all relate to at least a little bit - I'm so glad that you feel I'm achieving that!

ilovedrew88 & charmed1s-halliwells: This story is basically writing itself at the moment. I hope Leo stays around too, but we'll see. I've got ideas as to what I want to do with it, but the words (luckily!) are spilling out of me at the moment. Thanks for the encouragement!

LeoPiper-Forever: As a fan of your writing, to get a "cool" from you sooooo made my day!

Inversnaid: Loved your review. Short, sweet and to the point. In a word, Brilliant!

Leigh1986: As I said before, my main goal is for the characters to be real and three-dimensional. Oh! And thanks for the tip about the signed reviews - I thought I had unchecked the box, but this program is so temperamental!

And now, I'll shut up so you can read the update! By the way, I don't know if all of the rest of the chapters will be this long, but this one flowed so naturally...

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Mom! We're home!" Sixteen-year-old Wyatt called out as he, his brother and father walked in the front door of the manor.

Piper instantly came out from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. A blue apron tied at her neck and waist covered a simple black scoop-neck top and pale blue crop pants. Black heeled sandals helped Piper keep up with her significantly taller husband and sons. "How did it go?" Piper asked with a sense of urgency. "Did you pass?"

"Nope – I guess I'll have to try again in three months," Wyatt answered, his green-eyed gaze focused on the floor.

"Really?" Piper asked, putting her arm around her son, "Oh honey – I'm so sorry. I know you'll do better the next time around. You know, it took Phoebe four times to get her license."

Chris, who had been hiding a smile behind a hand, guffawed as he watched his older brother fool their mother.

Piper gave her other son a look, "What? Your brother failed his driver's test and you think that's funny?"

Before Piper could continue and Chris got himself into trouble for something he didn't do, Wyatt interrupted, "Mom – Chris is laughing not because I failed – but because we got you!"

Piper hit each of the men in her life with a blank stare, "Huh!"

Leo walked over to his wife, "Honey, Wyatt passed!" Leo said, beaming with pride for his oldest son. "He got a 96."

"Yeah," Wyatt interjected, "And the only reason why I got a 96 instead of a 100 was because my tester was the bitter old guy who had nothing better to do than be bitter. He docked me for 'not looking long enough in a left direction before making a right-hand turn'." Wyatt quoted the man. "Talk about stupid!"

"Oh honey – you can't get a perfect in everything," Piper said, dismissing Wyatt's complaint. "Besides, it doesn't matter if you get a 96 or a 100 – you're still deserving of some of my special cookies! They just came out of the oven. Better hurry though, Paul's in there and he might have just eaten all of them." Wyatt kissed his mother on the cheek, "Thanks Mom!" He said before disappearing into orbs that were aimed in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey!" Chris called out, "No orbing! That's personal gain!" He too, kissed Piper on the cheek, thanked her and then orbed to the kitchen.

Leo stood behind his wife, arms encircling her small frame. "You would have been so proud honey. Wyatt did terrific. And Chris got to take the written test today – he did score 100 but didn't want Wyatt to feel bad so he told him he got a 96 as well."

Piper leaned into Leo's embrace, "Can you believe that they are old enough to drive? When did our little boys grow up?"

Leo shrugged his broad shoulders, "I'm not sure – it seems like it happened overnight." He found the nape of Piper's neck and began kissing the soft flesh gently, enjoying the smell of lilacs that was his wife.

"Do you think they're happy?" Piper asked her husband.

"Hmmmm." Leo answered, "I think they're very happy. Now, is there anything I can do to make you very happy?" He asked, still kissing her neck. After 20 years he still found her irrestible.

Piper turned around in her husband's arms, "Mr. Wyatt – are you seducing me?" she asked with a flirtatious smile.

Leo shrugged his shoulders before pulling his wife closer, "Maybe." Just as he was about to suggest they use orbing for their own personal gain, familiar chimes were heard from above. The couple groaned.

"What is it this time?" Piper asked.

"It sounds like there are some problems with that treaty we've been working on for the ogres and the dwarves."

"Can't it wait?" Piper asked, pulling Leo's lips back to hers. The two stood in the hall of the Manor, melting into each other when a second, more insistent chime rang. Reluctantly, Leo parted from his wife, "Can I take a rain check?" He asked, giving Piper his apologetic puppy dog eyes.

"I guess so," Piper replied, "Try to make it back for dinner, okay? I wanted Wyatt to drive us to that bistro you like so we could celebrate." Leo smiled and gave his wife a quick kiss, "If I can, I'll be there honey – you know it. Oh, and tell Paul to follow me. The other Elders wanted him too." As he disappeared into blue orbs, Piper joined her sons and Paul in the kitchen, to pass along Leo's message and curious to know if they had saved any milk and cookies for her.

* * *

Piper had insisted that Wyatt drive them out to dinner that night to celebrate both of the boys' achievements. Currently, both boys were getting ready for dinner. Piper heard the shower going in the bathroom Leo had added to their room. She figured Wyatt had gotten to the bathroom first, which meant Chris was more than likely playing Game Boy or reading his comic books while waiting for a turn in the bathroom. 

Piper was getting ready as well. She softly hummed to herself as she sat at her vanity applying make-up. There had been a lot of reasons to celebrate in the past five years – and the Halliwells, or rather, the Wyatts, Deans and Mitchells had celebrated them all to the best of their ability.

Piper thought back to the first year after Leo returned to them. It had been filled with nightmares and night terrors as Leo dealt with the grief and anger from the betrayal of his mentor. But with Piper and his family's support, he seemed to have worked through the pain and deal with the guilt he had placed upon himself. Future Chris's death was never talked about after that year. All had decided the past was best left in the past.

His active Elder status that had been reinstated a year after he returned. Despite the tasking job, Leo elected to live with his family. Any Elder who attempted to challenge the wisdom of that choice was quickly silenced by Leo himself.

Paige and Will had their second child, a little girl – much to Prudence's pleasure and Perry's disappointment. They named her Guinevere, although everyone called her "Veve" for short. She, like her brother, was a conjuring whitelighter. Paige was still running Magic School and had recently added a new graduate program of study, Time Traveling. Will taught at Magic School as well – he was the chemistry teacher. It was a class that covered the basics of physical science to some complex potions. It was actually Chris' favorite class.

Phoebe had graduated from her advice column at the Bay Mirror and was now writing relationship self-help books. She used part of the last advance she had received and took the family to Jason's private beach in Hawaii for a week. Piper's thoughts flickered for a second to Jason – they had lost him about two years ago. He never slowed down – not once. He built a global multi-media empire by the time he was 35, he never slowed. Unfortunately the heart attack he had at 40 succeeded in slowing him down permanently. The loss had shocked not only his family, but the rest of the world. Phoebe had moved back into her old room after Jason's death and Veve had very excitedly welcomed twelve-year-old Prudence into her bedroom. The girls were inseparable.

Recently, the family grew again to accommodate Paul, a whitelighter Leo had assigned to his sons, nieces and nephew. Paul, despite being well over 150 years old, looked like he was in his late teenage years and knew how to connect with hormone ridden teenagers – a skill that was appreciated by all of the adults in the Manor. Paul did not live with them, but he was at the dinner table almost every night.

Of course there had been demons and evil plans and potions and sinister spirits, and many close calls – but Piper and her family refused to let the inconveniences of being a witch dominate their lives.

Tonight they were celebrating more than a new chapter in a teenager's life – they were celebrating their family. It was tonight that Piper had chosen to tell the men in her life that their family was about to grow one more. She was pregnant. Earlier, when the boys were out taking their tests, Piper had gone to see Ava, her gypsy doctor and friend. Ava told Piper she was about 2 months along. Piper was nervous, she knew she was on the older side of the new mother scale and that the next few months would be difficult – more so than when she had carried Wyatt or Chris.

"Hey, mom, you ready?" Wyatt asked from the doorway, Chris hung in the hallway slightly behind him.

Piper turned from the vanity, and smiled at her two boys. "Look how handsome you two are!" She said, impressed at the outfits they had chosen for themselves. Normally the two lived in raggedy tee shirts and jeans that had one or two holes and some very questionable stains. Wyatt was now wearing a cream colored turtleneck sweater and black dress pants. His long blond hair had been slicked back into a neat ponytail. At that moment Piper could understand why there were always one or two different girls from school calling each week. Her younger son looked had actually combed his shaggy hair and wore an equally clean-cut in a navy blue crewneck sweater and dark khaki pants.

At her remark, Wyatt's grin broadened and Chris's cheeks tinged with color. Ever the charmer her oldest son was, Wyatt replied. "You look beautiful Mom. Could we have the honor of being your dates for the evening?"

It was true; Piper was stunning in her calf-length silver satin dress. The sweetheart neck-line and flutter cap-sleeves were the perfect frame to the cameo necklace she wore around her neck. Her long silky hair hung down her back in loose waves. "Certainly!" she said, laughing. "Just let me put my shoes on and I'll be ready to go." She slipped into a pair of deep purple peep-toe heels, the three inches helping her to gain some height on her sons. Already at 15 and 16 Chris and Wyatt had a good three and four inches respectively on their petite mother. Grabbing her purse and wrap, the three headed out.

Phoebe was walking in the Manor as the three were leaving. "Whoa - everyone looks so nice! What's the special occasion?"

Piper smiled at her sister, "Wyatt passed his driver's license test today. And Chris got his driver's permit. We're going out to celebrate."

"Congratulations! Where are you going to celebrate?"

Wyatt answered his bubbly aunt as he helped his mother with her wrap, "Acquerello. You know how mom loves their chocolate-cake with almond praline ice cream."

"Ohhhhh….That place is so good! Their warm artichoke salad makes my knees go weak every time." Phoebe said. Her mouth had already begun to water at the thought of the light pastas and rich desserts the bistro was known for.

"Would you like to join us?" Piper asked, "The more the merrier you know."

Phoebe paused; Prudence was at Magic School with Paige and her cousins, and the thought of having the Manor all to herself did not appeal. She still had not completely come to terms with loss of Jason. After having a partner to share so many moments and meaningless conversations with, silence equaled loneliness. "As long as I'm not interrupting a mother-son date, I would love to! Just let me jot a quick note to Prudence and let her know where I am."

Mother and sons waited patiently as Phoebe scribbled a quick note to her daughter. She was reminding Prudence to complete her homework before working on another potion with her Aunt Paige when a demon shimmered into the hallway. Chris and Wyatt, being the first to see it, reacted on instinct. Wyatt threw himself on top of his mother as Chris yanked his Aunt Phoebe into the living room, putting a wall between them and the demon. Before Piper could react and blow the intruder up, Wyatt sent a lighting bolt at it. The demon disappeared with a short scream and a puff of smoke.

"You okay, Mom?" Wyatt asked, helping his mother up from the hall floor. "Chris? Aunt Phoebe? You guys okay?" Phoebe and her nephew appeared from the living room. "When will these guys learn?" Phoebe asked as she brushed herself off. "I mean, come on, one little demon against two Charmed Ones and their children?"

Piper shook her head, "It doesn't make any sense. Why just one measly demon? I mean – at least give us a challenge!"

"Uh, Mom – I would be careful what you wish for." Chris said, eyes growing bigger as demon after demon appeared in front of him. In seconds the living room was filled with a mixed bag of demons – all shapes and sizes, all with different powers. There were acid-throwers, Celerity demons, shape-shifters, Brutes, fire-throwers, and more – outnumbering the Charmed Ones, Wyatt and Chris 7-to-1.

* * *

It was the demons who struck first. Fire balls and acid blasts barreled across the living room, aimed for the witches. Instantly, Wyatt threw his defense shield up around his family as his Aunt Phoebe empathically channeled what she could back to the demons. The few pieces she missed Chris was able to direct away telepathically. As blasts were deflected, Wyatt lowered the shield. It simply took too much energy and concentration to keep up for extended periods of time. Sharing a look, the four knew what the plan of action was. 

All took the offensive, Piper and Phoebe putting themselves in front of the boys. After so many years it was only natural that Piper and Phoebe's powers had grown. Piper was now able to freeze whole city blocks and blow up more than one demon at a time. At the moment, she was blowing up small clusters of demons.

Phoebe was able to use her empathic abilities and channel the demon's aggression and "borrow" his offensive power. However, it wasn't something she enjoyed doing. Most of the time, when they needed to fight demons; Phoebe depended on her power kicks and nifty martial arts moves in combination with her levitation and energy balls. This is what she was doing now.

Wyatt and Chris hung back somewhat behind their mother and aunt using the staircase banister for some small bit of coverage. Wyatt was able to throw off bolts of lightning, helping his mother decimate the demons while Chris telekinetically shifted the trajectory of the fire balls and acid blasts aimed at them. It just wasn't Halliwell style to stand aside and watch a fight.

_It's almost as if this was an organized attack. But who organized it? There hasn't been a Source since Uncle Cole…_Chris thought to himself and he didn't know of any recent reports of the Underworld being organized, at least, none that his father the Elder had shared with them.

_Hey, Wyatt. _Chris telepathically reached out to his brother. The telepathic bond had happened on accident last summer when they had sworn to be not just brothers, but friends for life. Each had sliced open his palm and pledged friendship, honesty and loyalty for a lifetime. They still didn't know exactly how the telepathic bond had developed, but at least they had learned to control it. Those first few days with the link had been nearly impossible. Chris had seriously considered throwing himself off of the Golden Gate Bridge a couple of times when he was unable to separate his thoughts from Wyatt's. _Wyatt?_

_What bro?_ Wyatt replied as he sent off another few bolts of electricity into the heart of a Brute demon. He watched as the Brute imploded on himself and frowned as he noticed the small burn stain left on his mom's newly waxed hardwood floor.

_Something is really, really wrong Wyatt. Who has this much power in the Underworld? _Chris asked, taking the opportunity to pull a Celerity demon's wrist knife off telepathically and send it flying into the horrible loveseat with Seventies upholstery that was really a shapeshifter in disguise.

_No demon I know of. _Wyatt broke off the conversation and took a small step back and relaxed, calling Excalibur to him. He had really just begun to train with the fabled sword and wasn't very adept with the power that was created when Wyatt fused his magic with that of the sword.

Chris turned his attention from his brother back to the demons just in time to see a Celerity demon, known for incredible speed and lethal sharp wrist knives, break from the mob of demons the witches had been holding at bay and head straight for Piper. The wrist knife glinted in the colored sunlight that streamed through the stained glass of the front door as it slashed from right to left. Dumbstruck, Chris watched as the knife slashed again before burying itself in his mother's chest. Her body crumpled over on itself and fell loosely to the floor, like a rag doll, as the demon pulled his knife out.

"NOOOO!" Chris cried. He stumbled down five or six stairs to his mother's side. Just as he was about to roll her over and check her wounds, the Celerity demon's wrist blade connected with his shoulder. He didn't feel anything but a searing heat and then blackness took him.

Excalibur caught the Celerity demon's blade just as it was about to cut through Chris a second time. There was a satisfying clang of steel upon steel as Wyatt disposed of the demon in two deft motions. _I've got to protect them,_ Wyatt thought as he placed himself in front of his mother and brother. _I've got to save them. _Bonded with the power of Excalibur, the Twice-Blessed son's powers increased threefold. As he battled with Excalibur and his lightning, Wyatt kept half an eye on his Aunt Phoebe. He watched as she levitated and fought through a cluster of demons – vanquishing them with her energy balls and the athame she kept hidden in her garter belt. Until now, it had always struck him funny that his bubbly, giggly, can-never-keep-a-secret-or-her-nose-out-of-your-business Aunt Phoebe carried an athame in her garter belt. Now, however, as he watched her punch and kick and spin, now it made perfect sense.

Phoebe had heard Chris's cry and knew that Piper was down. She just didn't have enough time between demons to see how bad the damage was. There was a relentless stream of demons, for every one she vanquished; it seemed as if three more appeared. She couldn't keep this intensity up for too much longer. She decided to head in the direction of Wyatt and Chris. If she could get to the boys, perhaps they stood a better chance of protecting Piper until either Leo or Paul came.

_Damn – where did Aunt Phoebe learn how to fight like that? _Wyatt thought, as he caught his Aunt Phoebe pummel one of the creatures in front of her with a rapid succession of kick moves he had only seen in Jackie Chan movies. He had seen his aunt fight before, but this – this kicked ass, literally. He made a mental note to ask his aunt for some training lessons once they had survived this latest attack.

Phoebe had been able to move a good three feet in Wyatt and Chris' direction – actually, she hadn't seen Chris in the last glance she had been able to spare in their direction. She could tell that the use of Excalibur was taxing Wyatt. She knew it wouldn't be too much longer before the fatigue caught up with him.

The final feet between aunt and nephew closed with several well aimed energy balls and bolts of lightning.

"Where's Chris?" Phoebe asked, as she positioned herself back to back with Wyatt.

"Injured. Behind me – with mom," Wyatt replied, biting out the words. He wasn't sure if his mother or brother were going to be alright – but he knew that he would save them, all of them. Or he would die trying.

"Where do you think they are coming from?" Wyatt asked his aunt between swings of Excalibur and lightning blasts.

Phoebe shook her head in response, finishing off a Retch demon with a spin kick and her patented stab and twist move with an athame. "Not sure – all I know is, the more we vanquish, the more that show up."

"Watch out!" Wyatt cried in warning, he tried to move the acid blast that was headed straight for Phoebe with his telekinesis, but he was drained from using Excalibur – his magic was overworked.

The acid caught Phoebe in the back and the momentum threw her across the foyer and above the lower portion of the staircase. She crashed into the wall and landed with sickening thump on the stairs.

_And then there was one._ Wyatt thought. The throng of demons now began concentrating all of their energies on him, the last witch standing. Fatigue from using Excalibur and the emotional turmoil for his family taxed his powers and he became sluggish, not as quick to react.

_I'm sorry Dad, _Wyatt thought, _I tried my best. I really did. _And the Twice-Blessed son, the heir to Excalibur, fell.

* * *

Sneak preview, Chapter 5:

Blinking back tears Leo hadn't even noticed until now, he reached his hand out to hover above his wife's mangled form. The golden glow of healing radiated from his hand, but he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't feel Piper.

Piper Halliwell – his wife, his best friend, the mother of his children, the eldest of the Charmed Ones – was dead. He had failed Chris. He had broken his promise.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_With any luck, Piper and the boys will still be getting ready and I won't miss out on the drive to the restaurant._ Leo thought as he wrapped up his peacekeeping session in the Fairy Realm. It had taken awhile, but the ogres and dwarves had finally reached a compromise and signed the treaty. It was mid-orb when Leo felt the intense pain cut through his shoulder and chest. At first, he thought that he had been attacked between the planes of existence, but they he realized it was the pain of his family.

He arrived in a swirl of blue orbs and was dumbfounded by the massive destruction that had once been the foyer. He was next to his sons and wife. Chris, Wyatt and Piper were on the floor between the hall closet and staircase, Leo could see Phoebe lying facedown on the stairs. All four of them where somehow protected by Wyatt's shield.

There was evil everywhere. It was a stink that Leo immediately recognized, one that instantly brought back in waves the guilt, destruction and self-torment from five years previous. With a scream of fury, he let loose his rage. There was no thought, only instinct as he flung himself into the middle of the demon mass. He lunged and blocked, punched and rammed. His rage and desperation fueled his body and his powers. He felt his fingertips crackling as the destructive energy poured forth from them. Somehow the lightning bolts transformed into a single, pure white energy beam. Leo, awestruck, moved his hands together and watched as the beam broke through the center of his hands and refracted into a multitude of directions. The beam cut through demon after demon, obliterating them before the scream could form in their throats.

Finally, the last demon's evil was destroyed. Trembling with exhaustion, Leo gulped big breaths of air as he stared at his hands. _What have I done? _He wondered, _what is happening to me? _He pushed the thoughts aside as he rushed to his sons and wife.

The shield deactivated itself as Wyatt unconsciously recognized the threat was gone and Leo was able to examine his family. Wyatt was on the floor a foot away from Piper and Chris. It appeared as if his eldest was only unconscious. Leo noticed Wyatt's hand wrapped around the hilt of Excalibur and knew the power had been too much for him.

Piper and Chris were in a heap on the floor. Piper was crumpled over and lying on her side, Chris's body was on top of hers, facedown. Leo rolled his son over and saw the wound in his shoulder. Immediately, Leo reached out with one hand as his other arm supported his son's lanky form.

The teenager opened his eyes slowly, "Dad?"

"I'm here Chris, I'm here."

"Where's mom? Dad? Where's mom?"

_Oh, god – Piper…_Leo thought to himself, _Please, please not Piper… _He rolled his wife on her back and saw the gaping holes in her flesh. He thought for a moment about how beautiful she must have looked with her long hair flowing freely down her back. She was wearing his favorite dress and the cameo locket he had given her for her last birthday. Inside was a picture of the four of them Paige had taken last Christmas. They were all in pajamas. Leo, Piper and Wyatt were sitting side by side on the loveseat. Right before the picture was taken, Chris had flung himself across everyone's lap. They had all been laughing.

Blinking back tears Leo hadn't even noticed until now, he reached his hand out to hover above his wife's mangled form. The golden glow of healing radiated from his hand, but he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't feel Piper.

Piper Halliwell – his wife, his best friend, the mother of his children, the eldest of the Charmed Ones – was dead. He had failed Chris. He had broken his promise.

Leo turned to his youngest son, the tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry Chris. I'm so sorry." His voice was a bare whisper. The young witch had to strain to hear him.

"Dad?" The teen was worried. His dad seemed to just give up on healing his mother. Didn't he understand? She was hurt. He had to heal her.

"I failed you Chris. I failed all of you."

"What do you mean dad? What's happened to mom? The boy's voice started growing in pitch, "Why aren't you healing her?" The last question trembled out of Chris's throat.

Leo shook his head, disbelieving the words he was about to say. "Your mother's gone Chris. I'm sorry – I failed."

The young man's eyes blinked furiously as his mind tried to process what his father had just said. "Dead? What do you mean dead? Heal her dammit! Heal her! She can't be dead! She can't be dead! We're going to go out to dinner! She's going to take me driving tomorrow! WHAT DO YOU MEAN DEAD? HEAL HER!" With the last desperate cry, Chris flung him self on top of his mother's body, prostrating in grief. He willed his body to heal hers. He willed himself to give her life. But he couldn't.

Leo watched as his son hollered and wailed. No words of comfort would come to his lips. He couldn't think of a single thing to do – no way to relieve the anguish.

He didn't know how long they remained like that; his son sobbing, he staring dumbly, seeing everything but comprehending nothing. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned, Wyatt had come to. His eyes searched his father's for an explanation, "Dad?"

It was then, Leo resolved, that he would get revenge. He wouldn't fail his family again. He stroked his wife's cheek, feeling coldness where a few short hours ago there had been warmth. He bent over and kissed her cheek, whispering his good-bye in her ear, Chris all the while sobbing on his mother's breast. Gently, Leo removed the cameo locket from around her neck and stood, with great difficulty. After all, the entire world's grief was on his shoulders.

He looked his oldest son in the eye and placed one firm hand on his son's shoulder. He regretted his decision immediately but was resolved. "I love you and your brother more than you'll ever know Wyatt. Take care of your brother." And in a swirl of blue lights, Leo left the Manor and his family behind.

* * *

"What the hell am I doing here?" Piper said. She was staring into a swirling blue vortex. Darkness completely surrounded her. She knew where she was, she had escorted many to this very place years ago. She was standing at the gateway to the afterlife.

"That's a very good question that I, for one, would like to know the answer to," a tall man with long non-colored hair said as he stepped out of the darkness from Piper's left.

"Death? Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Piper said.

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now, Ms. Halliwell?"

"Hey, buddy, that's Mrs. Halliwell to you. And what do mean, 'what kind of trouble have I gotten _myself_ into?' I don't get myself into trouble. It has an easy enough time finding me, thank you." Piper's exasperation over the idiotic situation won out over her fear that she was fated to die an incomplete life like her mother and sister had. And what about her unborn child? Was he or she to be robbed of their life before it had even begun?

"You," replied Death, "are not supposed to be here. Nor is the child that you are carrying. So, I ask again, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?"

Piper frowned, relief a fleeting thought as she tried to figure out just exactly she was doing at the on ramp for the afterlife. She started piecing the last few hours together out loud, not necessarily to answer Death's question, but because talking out loud always helped. "Wyatt passed his driver's test…Chris passed his written test…Leo got called away…We were going out to dinner…Phoebe was joining us…Oh! No! The demons! I have to go back! My sons – they need me! Take me back, now!"

Death smiled. Okay, it wasn't so much a smile as a grimace, but he did make an attempt. "I would love to. See, your being here messes with the grand design. I do not have the power to send you back. You, however, do." He lifted his hand and pointed off to the distance. As she turned her head to follow the direction Death pointed in, Piper noticed the blue vortex in front of her closing in on itself. There was a door – a plain door. It might have been the door to her bedroom, or anyone's bedroom for that matter.

Death continued, "That door will return you to your body. It is the door you are meant to take."

* * *

Wyatt was very confused. He watched his brother sobbing over their mother's body, but he was uncomprehending. What had just happened? What had just made his family – his entire _life_ go straight to hell? And how could it have taken less than 15 minutes? They were supposed to be on their way to dinner right now. Leo – his father, his _hero_ – was to join them at the restaurant. Aunt Phoebe was going to join in the celebrations. _And now, _Wyatt thought. _Now it's all gone straight to hell. Nothing matters. Mom's…_ He willed himself to finish the thought, willed himself to be strong enough. _Mom's…dead. Dad left us – he left me to take care of Chris. Why? I can't do this. I can't carry this burden by myself. I can't do this! Why?_

"WHY!" Wyatt bellowed, "WHY, HUH? WHY!" The young man forced to grow up in the span of a half an hour sunk to his knees, tears slipping down his red cheeks and looked above for the answers he knew would not be there.

His mother and aunts had always told him that everything happens for a reason, _So where's the goddamn reason in this? Whose brilliant idea was it to orphan my brother and me? _

And then, Wyatt realized, his questions didn't matter. The answers didn't matter either. Chris mattered. Aunt Paige and Uncle Will and Perry and Veve mattered. Aunt Phoebe and Prudence mattered…_Aunt Phoebe…oh god…._Wyatt picked himself up and wiped the tears away. There would be no more tears shed from his eyes. He steeled himself at the sight of his aunt's body sprawled facedown on the staircase. Her back was a mess of acid, blood and melted flesh. It was a grisly sight. He noticed the slight lift from her chest as she breathed. She was still breathing. _Thank God. _

He reached out and let his hand hover above her back and a golden glow appeared. Slowly the wound healed, blood vanished, melted flesh returned to normal, acid disappeared and the designer blouse she was wearing became one piece once more.

"Ohhhh….Did anyone get the license of the demon who nailed me?" Phoebe quipped, grateful to be able to quip – hell, she was grateful to string words together into sentences and for the ability to breathe. By all rights, she should be saying hello to her mother, sister and Grams right about now.

"Thanks Wyatt – where's everybody else?" Phoebe asked her nephew as he helped her to her feet – a trick since she had landed face down, head to the floor on the staircase. And then it struck her; the anguish – the incapacitating grief. It hit her so hard she was almost knocked off her feet again, only Wyatt's steady grip on her arms kept her from falling back. _Oh god, _Phoebe thought, _not Piper. Not another sister. Please, don't take another sister away from me._

She looked up, into her nephew's eyes. She did not see the laughing green eyes of a newly licensed teenage driver. She saw cold grey determination. She saw steely resolve. She saw infinite pain.

Phoebe quickly spun around and saw Chris. He was bent over Piper, his sobs becoming gasps for air.

_How? _Phoebe thought, and then the battle came flooding back to her. Piper and she had taken point, covered by Wyatt and Chris's offensive powers. The Celerity demon charged through the rest of the mob, and Phoebe saw in her mind's eye the demon's weapon slashing and ripping through her sister.

Phoebe took Wyatt's hand and led him to where Chris and Piper lay. She knelt down next to her younger nephew, pulling Wyatt down next to her. She could hear the gulp in his throat as he came within inches of his mother's lifeless body. Phoebe placed a hand on Chris's shoulder and pulled him back from his mother. His face was reddened with emotion and wet with tears. He looked upon his aunt in wonderment.

"Aunt Phoebe?"

"I'm here honey and Wyatt's here. We're all here."

"She's not here."

Phoebe's mouth crinkled in a slight smile, her eyes filled with sadness and love. "No, honey. She's not. She's someplace a lot better."

"Dad's not here."

Wyatt spoke, his voice cracking, "He's gone too, Chris."

Phoebe looked at Wyatt questioningly, "What? When was Leo here? Where did he go?"

"He healed me," Chris answered, "But he couldn't heal mom."

"He asked me to take care of Chris," Wyatt interjected, "And he left."

Phoebe looked back and forth at her two nephews. Both boys looked to her for strength and comfort; Wyatt with his resolved demeanor, Chris with tearful confusion.

Phoebe looked down at her sister's body. _I'll take good care of them for you Piper. I'll make sure that they do all of their homework. I'll make them eat all their vegetables and make sure that they don't use their powers for personal gain. I'll make sure that they have a curfew on school nights and play sports. And I'll tell them everyday how much you loved them. _

* * *

After she finished her silent promise, Phoebe looked at both of her nephews again and pulled them to her, and together the three of them sat next to Piper's body, the remains of their home surrounding them.

"Is there a catch?" Piper asked, wary of Death.

"No. No catch at all," Death replied. "All you need to do is go back to where you belong and then I can get back to the master plan. I do have a schedule you know."

Piper snorted, remembering the last time she and Death had met each other. "Yeah, I know."

"But before you go, I have a message for you."

Piper cocked her chin up and to the side, "A message? From who?"

Death shrugged, "I cannot tell you who sent the message, only that you will figure it out in time. Your message is: "We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears. Remember, everything does happen for a reason."

Piper paused, trying to think who would send her a message through Death. Puzzled as she may have been, she was anxious to return to her family – and her body, for that matter. She began to walk to the door.

"Oh, and _Mrs. _Halliwell?" Death called after Piper, stressing her correct title.

The Charmed One turned to look over her shoulder, "Yes?"

"Try not to get yourself in any more trouble and screw up the master plan again. I think twice in one lifetime is quite enough, don't you?"

A faint smile passed across Piper's lips as she remembered the last time she and Death had met. "I'll try to steer clear of you for a very, very long time." She opened the door and took a step forward, disappearing in golden lights.

* * *

See guys, you just gotta have faith! Why would I kill off Piper? (Who is my fav. character!) Any guesses as to who the message is from:)

GeminiPiper: Thanks so much for the rave reviews!And of course, I would love it if you promoted my fic in your next chapter!

And to all the rest of you - thank you! Thank you! Thank you! If you enjoy the fic, I've done my job.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A golden light passed over Piper's body, and it was magically restored, all traces of the demon's blade vanishing. She blinked rapidly a few times, as the chandelier in the foyer came into focus. Still lying on her back, she turned her head and saw three forms embracing each other. When they were about to leave for dinner the evening sun had been spilling into the foyer. Now there was no light, and her family's forms cast black shadows in the grey. She opened her mouth, and surprisingly, her throat was clear, not dry. "Chris? Wyatt?"

All three heads quickly pulled up in unison at the words, their gaze immediately pulling away from the floor to look at her.

It was Chris who spoke first, unsure, but he swore that he had just heard his mother's voice speaking his name. "Mom?"

Piper smiled in the darkness at her son's voice. It was still changing in timbre and a pubescent crack had punctuated the middle of the word. "I'm here honey," she replied, cautiously sitting up.

"But how?" Wyatt asked, "Why?"

Piper shrugged, "It wasn't my time. You know I would never leave you two and your father all alone. Think of the laundry that would pile up."

"MOM!" Chris yelled as he threw is arms around his mother. She could feel his broad smile against her cheek as she returned the joyful hug. Wyatt followed in suit a beat later. "Whoa – easy guys, I was dead a couple of seconds ago, remember?"

Phoebe smiled, her sister was alive. Her nephews would not live the rest of their lives as orphans. Her smile quickly faded at that, _Leo…_she thought.

At that moment, Paige and her husband Will orbed in with their children and Prudence. "What is going on here?" Paige questioned the darkness, bewildered that part of her family was sitting in complete darkness and on the floor.

Phoebe answered her younger sister's question, "Nothing much. Demons attacked, we fought back, things got really dicey when Piper died, but her spirit was restored to her body. You know, the usual."

"Are you alright Piper?" Paige asked, alarmed.

"Are you okay Mom?" Prudence asked, wrapping her arms around Phoebe's waist. Phoebe looked down at her daughter's freckled face and smiled, nodding her head yes as she returned the hug.

"Fine! Just fine…never better actually," Piper answered her sister before addressing her sons who were still squeezing the life out of her. "Uh – guys? Could I get some air?" The two teenagers released their mother somewhat grudgingly at her request. Both silently swore they would never again complain about their mom cramping their style, forcing them to do their homework or coming home early on school nights. At least, not for a good couple of months, until Piper's close call was just another demon attack survival story.

"How about some lights in here?" Paige suggested as she reached for the light switch that would turn on the chandelier.

"Wait, Paige! Uh, I don't know if that's such a good idea…there's a lot of stuff damaged. Might be better to use some orb lights or have Will conjure some." Phoebe suggested.

Paige and her husband shared a confused look before shrugging their shoulders. Will squatted in front of Perry and Veve, "Hey guys, wanna help Daddy? We need some lights in here – what do you say, can you conjure some lamps?" The children, scared quiet by the thought of their aunts and cousins fighting demons in the house, nodded before closing their large blue eyes to concentrate on the task of conjuring lamps.

A few beats later, several lamps appeared through the house in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The lamps Will conjured were practical, plain floor lamps. The lamps created by the children appeared in orbs and were anything but plain.

Veve had conjured several of lamps that looked like the one on her nightstand. It was a castle with white walls and pink turrets, and when you turned it on, all of the windows glowed. When her mom and dad thought she was asleep at night, Veve would turn on her lamp and dream about the princess that lived inside the castle. She wore beautiful gowns made of satin and silk and trimmed with lace and beads and danced with the handsome princes all night long.

Perry had conjured lava lamps. He didn't have one, but his cousin Wyatt did and Perry thought it was the neatest thing in the whole world; mortal world that is. Everytime Wyatt and Chris let him hang out with them in their room Perry would sit and stare at the lava lamp, mesmerized by the floating colors.

The castles, lava lamps and floor lamps scattered throughout the first floor of the manor made it apparent to everyone the extent of the damage the fight with the demons had done to their home.

The proud parental grins that Paige and Will wore slowly faded as they looked around the manor. There was almost nothing left of the living room and foyer. Sofas and chairs had been destroyed, tables reduced to kindling, the wall separating the two areas barely remained – Wyatt thought he remembered seeing Chris throwning a Brute demon or two against it.

Will was the first to say anything, "How many demons were there?" He asked in amazement, looking through the Brute sized hole in the wall between the living room and foyer. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other then the boys. The four shrugged their shoulders in unison, Piper answering the question, "Maybe a hundred? Maybe a hundred and fifty?"

Paige's mind staggered to comprehend her sisters and nephews fighting off so many demons. Even with Piper and Phoebe's advanced powers, Wyatt's new abilities with Excalibur and Chris's offensive magic, there was no way they would have been able to stave off and vanquish so many demons. "How is that even possible? What was the attack for? Was it random or planned?"

"For every one we vanquished, it was if 2 or 3 more appeared in their place," Phoebe answered.

Chris interjected, "It definitely wasn't random– this was an organized attack. We think there's a new demon in the Underworld. Wyatt and Aunt Phoebe held them off as long as they could…hey, what did happen Wy? How did you and Aunt Phoebe get rid of all of the demons?"

Wyatt shook his head, "We didn't. Aunt Phoebe got hit by an acid thrower and the last thing I remember was all of these demons converging on us."

Chris spoke, "Dad must have vanquished them all. Right before he healed me."

"What!" Piper asked, immediately checking over Chris for cuts, scrapes, or broken bones.

"Mo-om," Chris whined, stretching the word. "I'm fine…didn't you hear, Dad healed me."

"And then he tried to heal you, Mom, but he couldn't," Wyatt continued. "It was a little after that, I think, when I woke up. Mom – Dad was really upset. He told me to take care of Chris and he disappeared."

"Do you know where he went Wyatt?" Piper asked, though she already knew the answer. Piper knew better than anyone what Leo had been through the past 15 years. Leo filled the role of the doting, well-adjusted father, husband and Elder, so well that not even his own sons knew it was just that, a role he was playing. Deep beneath the surface he still grieved for his son, still believed that he had failed him somehow.

Wyatt shook his head, "No."

"Mom? Dad said something to me too," Chris spoke, his memory triggered, "I don't remember a whole lot, I was too, uh, too…" And for a moment, the pain of seeing his mom die crossed his face, and Chris could not continue.

Piper's face wavered into a slight smile, "It's okay Chris – I know. What do you remember?"

"He said he was sorry he had failed me. What does that mean Mom?"

The four adults in the room shared a look with one another. Paige was the first to say something. "Okay, right. One problem at a time. First things first." Earlier, Veve had gotten nervous and fidgety. To calm her, Paige had picked her up. Now, she set Veve next to her brother on the floor and walked into the middle of the destruction. "Let the object of objection appear as a dream, as I cause the scene to become unseen." It was Paige's favorite spell. One that she used pretty much every chance she got as it typically kept her exempt from actually cleaning up any destruction a demon or unruly children created.

Paige turned around and faced her family, pleased that her spell had reversed all of the damage to the house – the grandfather clock was even running on time for once. "Okay – now, let's find Leo. Chris: you are going to look after Prudence, Perry and Veve. Will, Phoebe, Piper, Wyatt – follow me." Paige said, starting up the stairs to the attic.

"Uh – guys?" Wyatt called out.

Piper turned around, "Yes? What is it honey?"

"Excalibur is missing."

* * *

It was just like he remembered it. Red light cast black shadows on black rock. The stink of blood, brimstone and evil hung in the stale air. He had returned to the Underworld. There was no emotion – only power and determination coursing through his body and mind. He would destroy the evil that had destroyed his family.

* * *

"What do you mean missing?" Paige asked.

"I used it to fight the demons," Wyatt told his aunt, "It was here, in the hall. Now it's gone."

"Why don't you call it to you?" Will suggested.

Wyatt closed his eyes and concentrated as his family stared at him. He willed the sword to his hand. It would not come.

_Performance anxiety, bro?_ Chris telepathed to his brother after several minutes of watching nothing happen.

Nice. Now, shut up will you? I'm trying to concentrate. 

Chris laughed silently to himelf at the small jab to his brother. After all, wasn't it the little brother's responsibility to be a pest to his older brother? Besides, sometimes the Twice-Blessed child needed to be reminded of his limitations.

Wyatt opened his eyes a few minutes later and shook his head. "Sorry. Nothing. I couldn't even sense the sword."

Piper looked to Chris, "Honey, can you take your cousins to the kitchen and fix a snack for all of you?"

"Mom…" Chris started, it wasn't that he didn't like looking after his cousins, but he hated being left out of the loop. Especially since this loop included a missing Excalibur.

Piper cut Chris off. "Please Chris? Thank you."

_Don't worry bro, _Wyatt thought in Chris's mind, _I'll keep you up to speed on what's happening while you're playing babysitter._

Chris shot his brother a quick look before herding his cousins into the kitchen. He was grateful that Wyatt would pass the information along once there was any to pass – but he hated being called a babysitter. _Oh, hey – Mom's carrot cake would make a good snack for everybody. _Chris "said" to Wyatt, knowing that would get his older brother good. Wyatt loved their mom's carrot cake.

Piper waited until she heard the kitchen door close before continuing. No sense in scaring the little ones if they didn't have to. She looked at Paige, "What does it mean if Wyatt can't sense Excalibur?"

Paige shrugged, "Wyatt should be able to sense the sword anywhere – as long as it is in this realm."

"What if it was in the Underworld?" Phoebe asked, "What if a demon took it?"

"A demon didn't take it," Wyatt stated, "Dad did."

* * *

The demon was powerful, and Excalibur, naturally drawn to power, had led Leo straight to the evil that had murdered his wife.

Leo stepped into the cavern – it was empty but for a single form. The demon was large and his form mostly hidden by a black cloak.

"An Elder?" The evil sneered, "In my Underworld?"

Leo did nothing to react to the demon's words. He just stood, firmly planted, one step inside the cavern.

"To what do I owe the pleasure? Perhaps some of my minons have gotten out of control, hmmm? Perhaps they attacked some witches?"

Leo still did not respond, he would not allow the evil to penetrate him. He held Excalibur down at his side, drawing from the legend the power to begin the fight.

The demon smiled, he had been planning the attack on the Charmed Ones and their offspring for years. He was determined to have Excalibur for himself. Although his first plan had failed, perhaps he would achieve success in stealing the sword from the whitelighter that was attempting to threaten him. He continued to goad the Elder, "Were those witches friends of yours?"

_Piper…_Leo's heart cried. He ached for her. He thought back to earlier that day when they had sood in the hallway. He felt her small frame pressed against him, her hair tickling the underside of his chin, her mouth pressed against his…

Leo attacked.

With a shout of grief, he closed the distance between himself and the demon. Excalibur swung down, poised to slice the demon through, and was met with another sword. Swift steel crashed upon the hot crude iron of the Source's weapon. The cloak came off and the demon was revealed to Leo. His skin was cobalt blue and the tribal markings of dots, dashes and swirls that wound down his arms and chest were blood red. The grin he wore bared many tiny, razor sharp teeth. He reminded Leo a little of Belthazor.

The Source had underestimated the power of Leo and had dismissed him too hastily as a typical whitelighter; a pacifist with no fighting ability. But Leo was not a typical whitelighter, he had the desire to avenge his family guiding his attack.

Where it first appeared as if the two – good and evil – were evenly matched, the nameless demon who wore the mantle of the Source became sluggish in his thrusts and parries, indicating to Leo that he was tiring. It was then Leo released his desperation and rage into his attack. He knew the dangers, but allowed his power to join Excalibur's magic. And with a few deft movements of Excalibur, his opponent was stripped of his weapon. Excalibur did not allow him to stop. Leo trust the sword straight at the demon and plunged it into the center of his chest where his heart should be.

Leo stood before the spot where the demon had stood and screamed his last breath panting from the exertion. He dropped Excalibur and barely heard as the steel clanged against the rocky floor of the cavern. There was no pause for reflection, no wonder at what had just happened. The demon was destroyed, but the evil that had harmed his family, defiled their dreams – the evil that had slain his love was not. It thrived within the firey stone of this blood stained place. He would not rest until that evil was scourged from the world.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The five appeared in the dank of the Underworld bathed in blue. Wyatt holding his mother and Aunt Phoebe's hands, his Uncle Will had hitched a ride with Paige.

They had formed a basic plan before they left the Manor. The five of them would orb to the Underworld and have Wyatt sense the sword – once he was able to find it, they would orb straight to the sword and to Leo. Of course, if they happened to see any demons along the way, they would make the time to perform a quick vanquish.

Piper squeezed Wyatt's hand, silently urging him to start sensing Excalibur. The sooner the sword was found, the sooner they would find Leo. Wyatt closed his eyes and concentrated, stretching his senses in each direction for the his father and the stolen sword. He had never been to the Underworld – and knew in a heartbeat, before he had completely reformed, that he wanted to leave immediately and never return. The brimstone stung his nostrils and scratched his throat every time he drew a breath. The rotten smell of blood caused his eyes to water and the evil that clung to every tiny molecule of air was suffocating.

His mind was reeling from the day's events – his driver's license, the demon attack, his mother's death and the miracle of her return, and now the disappearance of his father.

Wyatt remembered when he was young his dad hadn't been around much. The few memories he had of Leo taking he and his brother to the park or tucking them into bed were always tainted by a certain sadness. He never knew where his father went and why – not until his mom had told him barely an hour ago. He learned of the family friend, who had betrayed them all and attempted to kill him. He learned of the promise Leo made to Chris just hours after his birth. Wyatt knew he hadn't gotten the whole story – his mom, aunts and uncle had kept sharing looks with each other the entire time they were telling the story. They had told him enough, and tonight, when he was safe and sound in his room, when Chris and he were lying down in their lofted beds, he would tell the story to Chris and the two of them would figure it out.

Wyatt shook his head in attempt to quiet the distractions. It was time to focus.

Wyatt increased his concentration and drew on the Power of Three that stood next to him – in this place, he needed all the help he could get. It was almost as if the same evil that was suffocating him was also suffocating his magic. _This is hopeless…_Wyatt thought to himself.

_You can't give up Wy – you gotta find dad and bring him home._ Chris's voice echoed through Wyatt's thoughts. Wyatt smiled grimly in acknowledgement of his brother's encouragement. _Thanks, bro. _

His concentration was intense – Will, the Charmed Ones, even Chris above ground, could feel Wyatt's pull on the world's magic. Finally, the Twice Blessed caught a familiar sensation. Opening his eyes, Wyatt met Paige's intent gaze, "Follow me," he said, before disappearing in blue orbs with Piper and Phoebe.

* * *

Chris really, really wanted to be in the Underworld with the rest of the adults – actually, he wanted to be anywhere else in the world right now instead of stuck at the Manor on kid-duty. 

Typically his cousins were well behaved and could entertain themselves. Chris made sure his cousins didn't use their magic for personal gain, ate their vegetables and brushed their teeth before bed. Tonight was not a typical night.

First, Prudence had refused to eat the meal he cooked for them – okay, he didn't really cook it. He just reheated a bunch of leftovers in the refrigerator. Apparently the chicken and rice she couldn't get enough of two nights ago was yucky – her word, not his. She didn't want an omelet or leftover spaghetti. She insisted on chicken tenders – the kind you find in the freezer aisle at the grocery store. Once she refused to eat the leftovers, Perry and Veve followed in suit and pretty soon, all three of them had been circling him in the kitchen chanting "Chick-n! Chick-n!"

Not knowing what else to do, Chris gave in and baked the chicken tenders as well as a bag of French fries he had also found in the freezer. He gave his cousins a choice – eat the carrots or no dessert. Only Perry opted for no dessert by not bothering to touch the carrot sticks that had been put on his plate. Truth told, Perry didn't like sweets that much.

By the time they were done with dinner, it was way past Perry and Veve's bedtimes, but there was no way those two were going to sleep anytime soon. The two were wound up tighter than his mom when P3 was having a big name band perform. But Chris knew the secret – a movie, some hot chocolate, and lots of pillows and blankets. They would try, as they had done many times, to wait up for their mom and dad. But Chris's patent-pending "put-the-kids-to-sleep-trick" won every time.

"Okay guys, it's pajama time," Chris said as he started the dishwasher. That announcement led to another challenge. Veve instantly pulled off her dress and began streaking around the manor screaming "Naked Time!" at the top of her lungs. Chris had spent a good ten minutes chasing her before realizing that he could use his telekinesis to catch her – which he did. Arms wrapped tightly around Veve's bare little body, Chris orbed to her bedroom for pajamas. At which point Prudence yelled him at for invading her privacy. He figured his apology wasn't accepted when she stormed out of the bedroom, a firm grip on her diary.

Veve wiggled away from at that point and Chris was forced to stop her again with his telekinesis. The desire to call their whitelighter, Paul, and have a good cry on his shoulder was overwhelming.

Finally, 30 minutes after he announced pajama time, one kid was in pajamas. Chris picked Veve up and placed her on his hip. "Alright munchkin – you wanna watch a movie?" Veve nodded her head yes, thumb firmly in her mouth, blue eyes wide. "You want Mr. Fluffy?" Chris asked Veve – when she wasn't running around the house naked she really was quite cute.

A shriek from downstairs made Chris forget all about Veve's bunny. Nerves tense from the earlier demon attack and having to watch three children, he orbed without thinking to the source of the scream.

It had been Prudence's scream. While Chris and Veve had been upstairs, she had been sitting in the living room, writing in her diary when Perry had snuck up behind her and grabbed it.

"Give it back!" Prudence screamed at her cousin.

"Make me!" Perry retorted, prancing around the living room – keeping himself and Prudence's diary just out of her reach.

"Guys? Guys! Come on!" Chris attempted to break up the fight, but Prudence and Perry would not be dissuaded from their heated battle.

"Fine! I will!"

"What are you going to do, premonition me to death?" Perry taunted, fully aware his cousin hated the fact that she was the only one without an active power.

"No!" Prudence said hotly – god, her cousin annoyed her.

"Perry! Prudence!" Chris yelled, a bit louder this time, but his cousins continued to ignore him.

Perry began to read his cousin's handwriting, " 'Billy is the cutest boy in school. And he's got a really awesome power – he can shapeshift! Jenna said she's going to ask him if he likes me tomorrow in history class. Diary, I'm so nervous – what if he doesn't like me?' "

"Shut up Perry! That's my diary!" Prudence wished with all her might that she could smack her annoying cousin upside the head with an energy ball. Much to her surprise, she did produce an energy ball. Without a thought, she hurled it straight at Perry.

"Whoa!" Chris said, deflecting the baby energy ball away from Perry and into the fireplace – not that his assistance was needed. Perry had already conjured himself a shield. "Cut it out, both of you! Can we all just take a minute to settle down? Perry – give Prudence back her diary."

Reluctantly, Perry shuffled over to his cousin and handed her diary to her. She snatched it out of his hands and ran out of the room headed for her bedroom, completely embarrassed by what her cousin had just read.

Chris set Veve down on the couch and let out an exasperated sigh. "Did you have to take her diary?"

Perry just looked at his feet. He had just been teasing Prudence – why did she have to take everything so seriously?

"I'm not going to do anything right now. I'm too tired to do anything right now," Chris said, "You do know I'm going to have to tell your Mom and Dad."

Perry nodded, still looking down at the floor.

Chris looked back and forth between his two cousins and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "You guys are going to stay here and watch a movie. I'm going to go see Prudence. Perry – let Veve pick the movie." And he orbed back upstairs.

"Prudence?" Chris questioned, knocking on his cousin's bedroom door. He could hear sniffling from the other side of the door, but there was no response. "Denny?" He questioned again, using a nickname he liked but she hated.

"Go away Chris," a disembodied voice replied.

"I'm not going away until I know you're okay," Chris stated.

"What do you care?" Prudence called out, currently angry at the entire world.

Chris orbed into her bedroom, disregarding her earlier orders to respect her privacy. "Cause I'm your cousin."

"Chris! No active powers until I get one of my own, remember?"

"Uh – I don't think you can say that anymore…don't you remember what happened about 5 minutes ago?"

"Oh."

"Right. I know that you probably want to be alone right now and stuff, but I know that all of us," Chris put his hand up and stopped Prudence as she opened her mouth, more than likely to say something about Perry. "All of us have had a really long day and it would be really nice to sit down in the living room and watch a movie together. What do you say?"

Prudence thought it over. Even though she hadn't been here when the demons attacked, she was still really freaked about it. And now her mom was in the Underworld looking for Uncle Leo – the more she thought about it, the more hanging out with her cousins sounded good. "What are we watching?"

Chris face broke into a large, somewhat relieved grin. "I let Veve pick, so probably Cinderella." It was her favorite movie and the one she always picked. Chris figured he was the only fifteen-year-old boy on the mortal – and immortal – coil to have watched Cinderella lose that blasted glass slipper over 100 times. _Scratch that, _Chris thought to himself, _it's probably closer to 200 times._

Prudence allowed her cousin to steer her out the bedroom, as they started down the stairs, she asked, "Can we have some popcorn?"

* * *

They reformed in an empty cavern. The walls were covered with dozens of scorch marks. It was a cavern Phoebe remembered all too well. "Oh my god…" she said softly. Memories came flooding at her all at once. This cavern was the site of Cole's coronation, the "royal" chamber. As Queen of the Underworld, she had greeted so many upper-level demons within these walls, played hostess to Cole's dignitaries. It was in this cavern she had watched her unborn child be vanquished by it's own raw evil. She placed a hand out on the wall to steady herself and was thrown into a premonition. 

Leo stood in the doorway of the cavern. He held Excalibur facing out and to the side.

_There was a demon in the center of the cavern – he was wearing a cloak. He was goading Leo to attack him. And Leo did. Phoebe heard his cry of grief echo through her mind – it was not a sound she would likely ever forget._

The demon threw down his cloak and drew his own sword to catch Leo's swing with Excalibur. The demon's arms and chest were covered with tribal markings similar to Belthazor's. Good and Evil fought in this forsaken cavern. It first appeared as if the two were evenly matched, but it became apparent that the demon had underestimated this whitelighter. When it was obvious the demon was becoming sloppy and tiring, Leo released his desperation and rage into his attack. He allowed his power to join Excalibur's magic. And with a few deft movements of Excalibur, his opponent was stripped of his weapon. Excalibur did not allow him to stop. Leo thrust the sword straight at the demon and plunged it into the center of his chest where his heart should be.

_Premonition:_

_Excalibur fell from Leo's hand to the ground. He stood before the ashes of the Source-like demon shaking. It was obvious he was now fighting himself. After much difficulty, Leo thrust his head back to stare at the ceiling and screamed. _

_Minutes passed, Leo reached in his pocket and pulled something out. Phoebe couldn't see what it was until he placed it around his neck. It was Piper's cameo. Calmly, Leo picked up the sword. He knew his son would come for it - knew they would use it to try and find him – and pushed it into the cavern wall, his face tight with exertion. When the sword was buried to the hilt, Leo turned and walked out of the cavern. _

"Aunt Phoebe? Phoebe?" Voices filled her head. Several sharp pebbles and smaller rocks were poking her in the back, arms and legs. It was then Phoebe realized she was lying on the ground. Phoebe opened her eyes and found four other pairs of eyes staring intently at her. Will and Wyatt each held out an arm and Phoebe grasped the pro-offered limbs, allowing them to pull her up to her feet.

"Phoebe, you okay?" Paige asked her sister.

"Sure, sure – just, you know, lightheaded from all of this orbing." Phoebe grinned, baring her eyeteeth. Phoebe could not bring herself to tell her sister the scene she had just witnessed. She didn't know if she had the strength to break Piper's heart.

Piper eyed the middle Charmed One. She knew when Phoebe was lying – hell, everyone knew. Her smile was too broad and her voice was always distracted. Everyone knew that she had just had a premonition. But, as Paige said earlier, one problem at a time – right now, they needed to locate Excalibur – and Leo.

_Leo…_Piper thought, frightened for her husband. Silently, she prayed to all of the powers above. _Please, return him. Let him come home to his family – let him come home to his sons – let him come home to me._ She thought back to the first year after he had returned home. Memories Leo's mind would not allow him to forget terrorized their nights in his dreams. There had been nights when Piper had not slept, when she had just held onto Leo and allowed him the comfort of her being next to him. There had been nights when she awoke to his terrified screams, there had been nights when she would wake afraid he wasn't truly there, and then there were the nights when she had woken to find her husband hallucinating – believing she was a demon sent to kill his son.

"Mom?" Wyatt touched his mother's arm, worried about the far off look her eyes had. "Mom?"

"I'm here," Piper said, shaking off the past. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" Wyatt questioned. He had already pulled Excalibur out of the wall and was holding the sword at his side. The stone had released the sword easily to the rightful owner.

"Good. Fine. Never better. Where's your father?"

Wyatt closed his eyes and began to sense for his dad. His mind poked through the tunnels and caverns that composed the Underworld. The was a faint glimmer, far, far away from where they were. It was something familiar.

"I think I found him," Wyatt said to the rest.

"Well, come on then – what are we waiting for?" Phoebe asked, all too relieved to be able to leave this place, "Let's go, let's go!"

Wyatt grabbed his mother's hand and nodded to Paige. She would follow his orb trail with Phoebe and Will. And the five disappeared.

* * *

Wyatt led them to another cavern. It was the thirteenth one they had been to – or perhaps it was the fourteenth. He was beginning to lose count. He allowed his eyes to roam the cavern – there was no one there. It was empty save he, his family and a few scattered rocks. There was a chasm in the middle – a very deep chasm, Wyatt couldn't see the bottom of it. He was getting frustrated. His powers had never failed him before; and now they were completely letting him down. 

Without warning, dozens of lower-level demons came out from the walls and rushed at the witches. They flooded the cavern. The air threw thick and unbreathable as the level of evil in the cavern grew. On instinct, Wyatt swung round to meet the demon mass head on. He channeled his magic through Excalibur and began fighting, cutting a path through the mass. Will ran to Wyatt's side and helped him with a sword he had conjured for himself. The Charmed Ones looked at each other and sighed – none of their active powers worked very well in the Underworld – only Paige's orbing was dependable, and that was because it was a whitelighter's power.

"Who's got a spell?" Piper asked, "Cause its lookin' like we're going to need one."

"The old standby?" Paige suggested.

"No," Phoebe said. "We don't want to hurt everyone outside the Power of Three. Just repeat after me."

The three sisters joined hands and Phoebe began the chant, pausing after each line to let Piper and Paige repeat. "Let the evil in our sight / vanquish in this dark night / as we draw upon the power of three / so mote it be."

And the demons vanished.

Wyatt and Will each stopped mid-swing. Will released the sword he had conjured. Once released, the magic ran out of the sword and it disappeared. Wyatt brought Excalibur to hang down by his side.

"What the hell was that all about?" Piper asked.

Will turned to look at his wife and sister-in-laws. "I'm not sure, but it had a very "Birds" feeling to it." His statement was met with blank stares from everyone. No one had a clue what he was referring to. Will continued, trying to make himself sound less crazy, "You know, the Hitchcock movie? There's this town that gets invaded by every bird imaginable. It's incredible! But kinda eerie too cause the birds just attack for no reason whatsoever."

Paige smiled at her husband, the amount of useless trivia he could crammed into that brain of his was incredible.

Phoebe nodded her head, "I vaguely remember that movie. I think I saw it once or twice at a Hitchcock festival."

Will's face broke into the easy grin he almost always wore. "See, I'm not crazy."

Piper snorted.

"Uh, guys?" Wyatt called out, "Earlier today we got attacked by demons at home. Now we're orbing through the Underworld to locate my father. We just got attacked by demons – again – and now we're standing in the middle of a cavern having a casual conversation about a Hitch-whatever movie – "

Will interjected, "Uh, Wy – it's Hitchcock. Hitchcock."

Wyatt just glared at his uncle before continuing, "Does anyone else find this just a little ridiculous? Can't we stay focused here people? My dad is missing!"

The teenager's outburst reminded everyone that although his magics were incredible, he was still a sixteen-year-old who had gone through hell that day – literally.

Piper walked over to her son and put her arm around his waist to comfort him. He was just too tall for her to put an arm around his shoulders. "Honey, we're sorry. We know how difficult this whole day has been for you, and we admire your courage. Right now, we're just as scared for your dad as you are and your Uncle Will was just trying to lighten the mood. Sometimes in situations as these, a bit of levity is good."

Wyatt looked down at his mother. Her cinnamon brown eyes were full of love and compassion, but he could also see that she was terrified. Strangely enough, knowing that his mother, the strongest person he knew, was terrified, calmed him down and gave him courage.

Piper saw some of the muscle's in her oldest son's face relax and knew he was regaining the level head he had inherited from his father. "You sensed him here before, didn't you?"

Wyatt struggled, trying to remember the familiar sensation he had felt moments ago. "I think so – it's so hard to tell in this place. I know I felt something familiar – I just figured it was Dad and orbed."

Piper looked to Phoebe and Paige, "What about you two – can you sense anything?"

Phoebe shook her head, "There's way too much evil around for me to feel anything else."

Paige shook her head as well, "Sorry honey – you know my sensing has never been the strongest."

"Could we try summoning him to us?" Wyatt suggested.

"That would bring half the Underworld to where we are," Will replied, "Demons can sense when white magic is being used. It's probably why those demons attacked us when we first got here. They finally had caught up to our orb trails."

Piper stood beside her son, one arm wrapped around him. "So what all of you are telling me is that we can't find my husband? We have all the magic in the world at our fingertips, and we still can't find him?"

"Piper – what if Leo doesn't want to be found?" Phoebe meekly suggested.

Piper swung her head so viciously to face her younger sister that her hair fell out of its bun. "What do you mean, Phoebe? Why wouldn't Leo want to be found? What do you know that I don't? I know you had a premonition earlier – was it of Leo? What did you see?

"I, uh – " Phoebe began, not knowing exactly how to begin.

Piper looked around, struggling for questions, looking for answers from her family, "Hasn't he been happy – "

"Piper, don't ask questions that you already know the answer to," Will interrupted softly, "Nothing makes Leo happier in this world than being with you and your sons. You know that. He would do anything for you three, he would sacrifice himself if it meant your happiness. He has sacrificed himself. Look what he lived through that first year after he came back. You know how incredibly difficult that was for him – we all do. He survived because of you and Wyatt and Chris."

Phoebe came over to her sister, "Sweetie – I, I didn't tell you before because I thought we could find Leo – but I don't think he's your Leo anymore. I think he's keeping himself cloaked from us."

"Why?" Piper demanded her sister, "Why? What did you see? Tell me what you saw Phoebe – tell me what you saw!" The last words were screamed and they echoed through the cavern as Piper slid to her knees. Wyatt was now holding his mother.

All eyes were on Phoebe as she began. "I saw him fight a demon with Excalibur. The demon was Source-like, dark with lots of tribal markings. Leo and the demon fought furiously, the demon underestimated his opponent. Leo joined his magic with Excalibur Piper – he killed the demon and left the sword for Wyatt. Leo knew if he had it we could track him. He doesn't want to be found. He doesn't want to fail you again." Phoebe said, giving Piper the Cliff Notes version of what she had seen in her premonition.

Piper struggled to actually hear what Phoebe had just said – her husband, the father of her children – was gone? Had Excalibur driven him mad? Or was it the pain of thinking he had lost her that pushed him over the edge? She felt the tears start to run down her cheeks. She couldn't raise another child without him. She couldn't even sleep without him in the same bed. "He can't be gone Phoebe. He just can't…" Piper pleaded with her sister, begged her for the words to be empty lies.

Wyatt hugged his mother to him, he didn't know what to do – he was only a kid still. How could his father do this to his mom? How could he do it to Chris? To him? Weren't they important? Didn't they matter? Didn't they have a say in all of this?

Paige came around from the back and put her arms around Wyatt and Piper, she felt her husband do the same. There was nothing anyone could do or say to make the pain any less.

She felt the arms of her family providing what comfort they could. She felt her son's body retch with stifled sobs. And then, Piper realized, Leo didn't even know about their baby yet. She hadn't gotten the chance to tell him. "He doesn't even know yet…" Piper said softly in wonder.

"What honey?" Paige asked, "Who doesn't know what yet?"

"Nobody knows," said Piper, continuing to speak only half the thought out loud.

Phoebe searched her sister's eyes for a clue of what she was talking about. And then, everything hit her. The terror, the grief and pain for her love lost. And fear – fear for her children. Fear they would misunderstand their father. Never realize what an incredible man he truly was. There was regret as well – regret for the child who might never know him. Phoebe gasped, "Piper? You're?"

Piper nodded.

"Could somebody please fill in the blanks for me?" Paige interrupted, impatient that she was only getting one-third of the whole story.

"Me too," Will echoed.

Phoebe looked at Piper, asking her with a glance before blurting everything out. Phoebe looked to Paige and Will, and finally, to Wyatt. "Piper's pregnant."

Paige excitedly hugged her older sister from the back, "Piper that's wonderful! That's terrific! Wyatt – you're going to have another little brother – or sister! Will isn't that – " Paige's excitement died as she saw the complete devastation on her sister's face.

Wyatt looked to his mom, "Really?"

Piper nodded, trying to wipe away her tears, "I was going to tell you guys tonight at dinner. In seven months you're going to have another baby brother or baby sister to look out for."

Wyatt nodded, quiet. Another little brother – or sister. He thought over the concept for a moment, then smiled, it would be nice to be a big brother again. He looked at his mom, right now she needed all of the help he could give her – she needed all of their help. He nodded again, "I won't give up on him Mom – we won't give up on him. Chris and I will tell our younger brother or sister all about our dad. And we'll help you through this okay?" Smiling, Wyatt offered her his arm. "You want to go home?"

For their children, Piper resolved. For Wyatt and Chris and Baby. She would find Leo. She would bring him home. She would not give up on him. She would not give up on their love.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Hello! and a great big thank you to all who have review my story! I haven't updated in a couple of days just because of the sheer length of this chapter. There's not a ton of action, but the chapter was to evolve the children's characters as well as create a link to the next chapter - which you guys can expect next Tuesday. Sorry for the delay, but I'm headed out of town. Hope you all have a great Easter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Wyatt knocked on his mother's bedroom door before entering. It was a difficult task to accomplish as he was attempting to balance a tray laden with a cup of tea, glasses of grapefruit juice and milk, a short stack of Chris's whole wheat pancakes topped with peaches and a small smattering of honey. _I should have just orbed up here – it would have been so much easier, _thought Wyatt, _and I wouldn't have knocked any grapefruit juice out of Mom's glass either._ Despite his thoughts, Wyatt knew if he had orbed, Piper would have delivered a ten-minute lecture on using magic for personal gain – it would be the same lecture he had gotten yesterday when she had woken up from a nap and caught him using telekinesis to clean her room.

"Good morning – Mom?"

Piper was not, as Wyatt expected, sitting in bed reading while patiently waiting for her breakfast. Ava, her doctor and a family friend, had prescribed bed rest for the last trimester of Piper's pregnancy. Despite all of the demon attacks she had endured throughout the first two pregnancies, this pregnancy was by far the most difficult of all of them. Of course, the eldest Charmed One had at first refused to listen. Her stubborn nature overriding the doctor's orders. It was only when Ava threatened to keep her in the hospital for those last three months that Piper had listened to the gypsy and put her feet up, declaring she was on a three-month holiday.

Everyone had picked up the slack, sharing the responsibilities Piper usually handled. It was the reason why Chris was downstairs right now cooking breakfast for the family. Why Phoebe was booking bands for P3 and Paige was packing lunches for all of the kids to take to school. It was the reason why Wyatt had been cheating at cleaning yesterday and the reason why he was being sent to the grocery store and dry cleaners after school tonight. It was also the reason why Grandpa was helping work the books for P3 and living in Perry's room. It was also the reason why Perry was crowding the room he and Chris shared. But nobody uttered a word of complaint – nobody wanted to. When a member of the family needed back up, you backed them up.

"Uh, Mom?" Wyatt called, placing the tray on the bench at the end of the bed. The door to the bathroom was wide open and the light was off – two signifiers his mom wasn't there. The alcove his dad had first renovated into a nursery for Wyatt's arrival was empty as well. Using his whitelighter abilities, Wyatt sensed his mother in the attic and orbed to her.

She was sitting at a table that had once been in the kitchen, her long hair was piled on top of her head and held in place by leather straps that she favored over hairclips. She was so consumed with the notepad and books in front of her that Piper did not notice her oldest son orb into the attic.

"Mom –" Wyatt began.

Piper gave a slight yelp to her name and looked up at Wyatt who was now standing in front of her.

"What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be in bed, remember? Aunt Ava said you're only to be on your feet when you go to the bathroom."

"First off, it's not nice to sneak up on a pregnant woman. Second, I didn't walk up here – I orbed," Piper retaliated to Wyatt's chastising.

"You mean you used my baby sister's magic for personal gain?" Wyatt grinned, justice truly was sweet.

"Don't start with me about personal gain, smarty-butt," Piper retorted. "I had an idea for a spell to locate your dad and I wanted to work it through before I forgot it." The growth spurt he had a month ago increased his already tall frame by another two inches and Piper was beginning to strain her neck looking up at him.

"So why didn't you just use the notepad and pencil that are in your bedside table?" Wyatt was not going to accept any excuses today – no matter how good they were. He had caught his mom red-handed this time.

Piper just glared in frustration at her son – he was good. But then, she really wasn't surprised, after all, he had learned from the best. "Honey – I wanted the atmosphere, but more importantly, a change of scenery. I don't know whatever possessed me to use that wallpaper in my bedroom. It's enough to drive a person mad! I'm tired of staring at the same furniture, the same view from the same window, the same books each and every day! Just give me a couple of more minutes up here, alright?"

Wyatt relented as he heard the exasperation in his mother's voice. He didn't know what he would do if he had to spend each and every day in the same spot, seeing the same things and doing the same things at the same time. Talk about boredom. "Will you at least put your feet up? Aunt Ava insisted that you have your feet up at all times."

Piper smiled, glad for the few minutes reprieve from her bedroom prison. Wyatt found a small footstool and moved it underneath her feet and sat down next to his mother. "What's the new brainstorm?" he asked.

Piper handed the notepad over to Wyatt. On the yellow lined paper was a very methodical potion. The ingredients read like the orders Paige phoned into magic supply shops for the upper level potions classes. On the next page, Piper had developed a spell that drew upon the Halliwell line as well as the Power of Three. The spell was to be said in unison as each family member threw one white rose petal in the potion.

Wyatt had to be honest with himself, not only did he barely comprehend the ritual, but he doubted its success rate. Ever since Leo had disappeared six months previous, nothing they had tried could find his father. He, Chris and Paul had spent days in the Underworld attempting to sense him. They only success they had was the vanquishing of several demons who had followed their orb trails. Uncle Will had created several locating potions; his Mom had scryed endlessly, using her connection with his baby sister. After giving up on trying to get another premonition, Aunt Phoebe had drafted spell after spell and Aunt Paige had scoured Magic School's vast library with the help of her assistant Ben. Prudence had searched the entire Book of Shadows but only accomplished indexing the family tomb. Even Perry and Veve had tried to help by calling Missing Persons – luckily Darryl had helped them clean that farce up.

Wyatt looked up from the writing tablet into his mother's expectant gaze. Even if he could be honest with himself, he couldn't be with Piper. The truth would break her heart, and Wyatt wasn't about to do that. "It looks pretty good Mom."

Piper looked at her son and knew he was lying. Both her boys were hideous liars – they took after their father in that aspect. Chris was a bit better at it than Wyatt, but only slightly. She knew each and every time they lied to her – most of the time she did not call them on it, but waited for their guilty consciences to gnaw at them. As a result, they hardly ever lied to her. But today, today Piper appreciated the lie and smiled at her son. "Would you take a look at our supplies? I know you're running to the grocery store after school, do you think you could pick up what we need for the potion as well?"

Wyatt nodded, "Not a problem Mom. Now – how about I orb you back to your bedroom? If Aunt Paige or Aunt Phoebe come upstairs and find that you're not in your room and your breakfast is untouched, it will be off with my head."

* * *

Wyatt hurried down the stairs, his mother's empty breakfast tray and dishes in hand. He had five minutes to do a quick check of the potion supplies and make sure he had all of his books and homework before orbing to Magic School.

"Mom like the pancakes?" Chris asked. His mouth was stuffed full of pancake, so to Wyatt, the question sound more like, "Mumm mmik thhhmmm panmmmmcammkssss?"

"Yup." Wyatt answered while putting the dirty dishes in the sink. After everyone left, Grandpa would put everything in the dishwasher and wipe down the kitchen.

"Ew, Chris. Don't talk with your mouth full," Prudence, ever proper at 11, admonished her cousin.

Chris opened his mouth in reply, showing Prudence half chewed pancakes. The sight caused Prudence to gag and Perry and Veve to get the giggles.

Phoebe chose that time to come in the back door with the morning papers in hand. "Chris! Close your mouth! That's disgusting." She checked her watch. "Okay guys, school's in three minutes. Time to get your dishes in the sink and your packs strapped to your backs."

The announcement caused a flurry of activity. Veve and Perry slid out of their seats to deposit their respective princess and motorcycle decorated plastic dishes in the sink. Prudence stuffed her history notes in her bag and went to grab her lunch that was on the kitchen island, in a neat row with the rest of her cousin's lunches. She also handed Veve hers, as she was not yet tall enough to reach the top of the counter. Chris stuffed the last hunk of pancake into his mouth and scraped his chair back from the table, moving to get his school things as well. Today promised to be a good day in Uncle Will's potions class, they were working on animal creation spells.

"What are you looking for Wyatt?" Phoebe asked, noticing her eldest nephew was rummaging through the herb cupboard rather than getting his schoolbooks together.

"Mom asked me to stop at the shop after school and get the stuff we don't have." Wyatt replied. Under his breath, he talked to the cupboard, "Come on – I know there's toad flax in here somewhere…"

Phoebe put the newspaper down on the island and walked over to Wyatt with a frown, "For what?"

Wyatt stopped looking for a moment and looked at his Aunt Phoebe. She was giving him her "tell-me-everything" stare that had worked so well on her self-help television specials. Once Phoebe gave a person that look, they would break down and tell her everything that had happened to them since they had left diapers. He sighed, handing her the list of ingredients his mother needed for her potion.

"What the hell is Piper trying to make?" Phoebe wondered aloud, she hadn't see this long of an ingredient list since, well, since never.

"It's a new theory to find Dad," Wyatt replied, one hand reaching to scratch the back of his head. "Could you finish checking this stuff for me Aunt Phoebe? I gotta get to school like everyone else."

Phoebe looked up at her nephew, he was getting incredibly tall. Already he stood eye to eye with her dad and Will only had a couple of inches on him. She wondered, briefly, if he would stop growing anytime soon. "Sure – I'll have the list completed and waiting with the grocery list on the fridge for you. Oh – can Prudence hitch a ride with you to school today?"

"Got it covered Aunt Pheebs – have a great day!" Chris interjected, before disappearing in blue orbs with his younger cousins.

"Bye Mom!" Prudence called out.

"Bye guys. Good luck on your test today Prudence!" Phoebe called out after them.

"Gotta go Aunt Pheebs, just because my other aunt is the headmistress doesn't mean that Mr. Sturgey is going to cut me any slack if I'm late for homeroom." Wyatt gave his aunt a quick peck on the cheek, grabbed his knapsack and orbed.

She had been surrounded by children only seconds ago. Now, Phoebe stood alone in the kitchen surrounded by dirty dishes and leftovers needing a home in the refrigerator. She knew her dad would be up any minute from the business call he was on – something about a shortage in the latest alcohol shipment to P3 – but decided to start cleaning up kitchen herself. Over the years, Phoebe had learned the cathartic value of cleaning. She didn't get the same satisfaction out of it that Piper did, but it was something to do with her hands while her head was occupied with other thoughts.

There had been no contact with Leo since that fateful day six months ago. No one talked about what happened that day with Piper, Wyatt and Chris. The three preferring to forget the day altogether, and Phoebe, Paige, Will and the children could hardly blame them. Ever the voice of reason and guidance, there was a very noticeable void in the family since Leo had left them. Will and Victor had become father figures to Wyatt and Chris. Wyatt and Will would play basketball in the driveway until Paige yelled at them to come inside – typically between 9 and 10 at night. Chris and Victor still went sailing on Sunday afternoons and at least one night a week had some good grandpa/grandson bonding time. Chris and Wyatt always did their homework in their mom's bedroom, and rotated eating meals with her so she wouldn't eat alone. After homework, they would play a board game – typically Scrabble with the bed-ridden Piper.

The entire family had done everything with their cumulative powers attempting to locate Leo. Potions, spells, premonitions, sensing, scrying – none of it had worked to locate the rogue Elder. _Perhaps_, thought Phoebe, _it's time for Piper to face the possibility that Leo may never return. _Phoebe knew how difficult it was to lose a husband. How difficult it was to realize that you would never stay up all night, talking, cuddling, making love and laughing with each other. Despite losing Jason almost four years ago, she still expected him to walk through the door everyday at 5:30 p.m. with a smile and a single yellow lily for her.

While her hands were shuffling through spices in the potions cupboard, her mind was in the past with Jason when Piper orbed into the kitchen.

"Aw, crap," said Piper, knowing she was busted.

Phoebe turned and saw Piper standing next to the refrigerator, one hand on the door handle. "What do you think you're doing Piper!" Demanded the witch, alarmed by her sister's actions.

Calmly, Piper opened the door and began to root through the refrigerator for something to satisfy the craving she was having. "I'm hungry – again. I didn't want to be a bother, so I thought I would raid the fridge myself." Piper pulled her head out of the refrigerator, "Besides, I don't even know what I'm craving."

"A bother? You're eight months pregnant, ordered to bed-rest and you're worried about being a bother! You're going to orb right back up to your bedroom this instant young lady!" Phoebe stated in a no-nonsense tone that worked with Prudence and her nieces and nephews. Piper, however, was left un-intimidated by the demand as she continued her search of the freezer.

Phoebe stood there, hands on her hips and exasperated. Once Piper had made up her mind to do something, she could not be dissuaded otherwise. "Would you let me look for you?" Phoebe finally suggested, have a seat, put your feet up, and I'll put a snack together for you."

Satisfied that she had won, Piper pulled her head out of the freezer with a small pint of strawberry ice cream. "Could you put this into a small bowl for me?" Piper asked, "I don't want a lot, just a couple of spoonfuls."

Phoebe sighed and nodded while pointing to a chair for Piper to sit in. She spooned about a bit of the ice cream into a small bowl. As she was putting the leftover ice cream away, she turned to Piper, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, I think I saw a jar of those garlic pickles in the fridge – could I get those as well as some of the bleu cheese we have? Oh – and a small piece of turkey? Do we have any bread? Maybe that could be a sandwich – turkey, bleu cheese and garlic pickles. But I'll take the ice cream now." Piper replied. It wasn't her fault she was eating the refrigerator empty – it was the little girl inside of her that was demanding more food.

Phoebe brought the small dish of ice cream to Piper and then proceeded to build the sandwich that had been requested. It was a strange combination, but during her own pregnancy Phoebe had some strange combinations herself – including chocolate chip ice cream with olives and strawberries. For a moment, Phoebe stopped slicing the pickles to fit on the sandwich and stared at Piper's belly, envious. She and Jason had tried to have a second child, but the doctor's said that her first pregnancy had been risky enough. And in the end, the two of them decided it was best not to try.

"Well hello Piper," Victor's voice broke through Phoebe's thoughts and she continued with the sandwich as their father came up the stairs from the basement. "What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"You tell her dad," Phoebe joined in, "She didn't listen to me when I told her that, but she just might listen to you."

Piper chose to ignore the comments, "How's P3 dad? Did that liquor order get figured out?"

Victor nodded, "Just got off the phone with the distributor. They're sending us the rest of the shipment this afternoon. I'm going to head over to the club now and get Jamie working on moving some of that inventory around to make room for the rest of it. And – before you even ask – I'll be stopping at the post office to mail those payments for you."

Piper smiled, relieved that she didn't have to worry about P3. Although retired, Victor was too happy to assist with P3 during Piper's pregnancy and bed rest sentence. It gave the man something to fill his time with and keep his mind sharp. "Phoebe," Piper turned to her sister, "Do you have the bands lined up for the next two months?"

Phoebe placed the sandwich in front of Piper and sat down with the newspapers and a glass of iced tea for herself. "Only waiting for a confirmation call on one group – and they aren't performing until the end of next month. Nothing to worry about."

"I really appreciate you two helping me out with the club," Piper said. "I can't tell you how much it means to me to not have to worry about that at a time like this."

Victor smiled and put his arm around Piper's shoulders, giving her a quick squeeze and kiss on the top of the head. "Don't worry about a thing sweetheart. I'm off to the club – ring my cell phone if you need me, okay?"

Both girls smiled and nodded, calling out goodbye as Victor exited the Manor using the back door.

Phoebe flipped restlessly through the daily papers as Piper munched on her sandwich. Piper watched her younger sister as her shoulders tensed and relaxed, tensed and relaxed. After several minutes, Piper couldn't take it anymore. "What Phoebe?"

Phoebe looked up from her paper innocently, "What? Who? Me?" she squeaked out before taking a long drink of iced tea.

Piper put her sandwich down. "What's on your mind Phoebe?"

"I took a look at the latest brainstorm you had," Phoebe said, hesitant.

"And? What do you think? I have a feeling that the spell with ritual will work where the spell alone failed last week." Piper replied, forcing excitement she certainly didn't feel into her voice.

It suddenly dawned on Phoebe that Piper had resolved sometime ago that Leo didn't want to be found – and may, or may not return to her and their family. Her never-ending quest was mostly due to the fact that Piper didn't know how to give up. Especially when it involved family. Phoebe looked directly into Piper's eyes and forced her older sister to match her gaze, "You know he's lost." She stated.

Piper met Phoebe's gaze evenly as she answered, her voice barely a whisper, "Yes."

"Do you think he'll find his way back?" Phoebe asked.

Tears flooded Piper's eyes and she was unable to answer.

"Oh sweetie," Phoebe said as she made her way to Piper's side.

"He's been gone so long Phoebe," Piper finally pushed the words out. "Every night I think, 'this is the night he'll return.' And I put a towel next to the shower for him and make sure his razor and shaving cream are on the sink counter and we'll fall into the routine we had when the boys were little and he returned. And I never really sleep, because I'm always listening for him. I lie awake wondering if this is the night he'll learn about Melinda. If this is the night our family will be complete once more. But even when he's with us the guilt plagues us and his dreams are haunted by the hunting and killing of demons – and he's really not all here. Part of him died when Chris died fifteen years ago." Piper sobbed into her hands as Phoebe hugged her sister, wishing she could take her pain away and praying that Leo would return.

* * *

A great big thank you to those of you who reviewed! I'm so sorry this chapter has been delayed - first I was out of state on vacation, then I got the stomach flu! Trust me - you don't want to fly halfway across the country in a 747 with the stomach flu.

Chapter 9 should be posted really soon - like, tomorrow or Wednesday. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

He had been stalking the warlock for awhile now. He wasn't really sure how long – day and night did not exist in the Underworld. It was always dismal. Minutes blurred into hours and hours melted into days and days somehow turned into months.

Leo hoped this warlock would lead him to their realm. With all his knowledge of the Underworld's realms, he had never been able to locate the elusive caverns the warlocks called home. Leo had observed the warlock use his power of acid-throwing earlier on another warlock. The power had must have been stolen from an upper level demon. For a moment, Leo's mind wondered how the demon had been tricked – but that was unimportant, and his mind lost interest before the thought had been fully processed.

The warlock blinked suddenly and Leo paused, sensing the evil he had been following. He had learned to the difference between evils was subtle, but there was a difference. He frowned; his powers told him the warlock was still in the area – very close by in fact. Acid shot through Leo's invisible body. It seemed he wasn't the only one with sensing powers.

The warlock sneered, he knew something was following him – something that wasn't evil, and not necessarily good. It was definitely not a warlock, and therefore, the creature needed to be dealt with before he opened the portal to his home realm. He shot a blast of acid to where he sensed the creature to be.

Nothing happened. The acid lamely spattered against the ground and hissed as it ate the top layer of rock away.

He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, first to the left, then to the right. There was something – someone in front of him a moment ago, he had been sure of it. He had felt the flicker of foreign magic. Now there was nothing. He cautiously probed with his senses once more – but the cavern was empty with the exception of him. It was time to open the portal, time to report the Source's murder to his master. He murmured an incantation in a dead tongue and snapped his fingers. The rock in front of him wavered, then cleared, revealing the Warlock Realm of the Underworld. As he stepped into his home, he felt a flicker of magic different than his own – it felt similar to the magic he had felt previously.

With a quick twist and _crack!_ of the neck, the warlock slumped to the ground. Above his body a man appeared one limb at a time, seemingly out of nothing. Leo's eyes reflected only his soul's demand for justice. He strode into the new realm; his body steeling itself against the waves of evil that pounded against him, a battered shore to the stormy ocean.

* * *

It was done. 

He stood in the midst of what had once been home to the warlocks. He had destroyed them – slaughtered each and every last one.

Exhausted, he finally allowed his body rest. Leo slumped against the throne the warlock king had once commanded from. His throat was dry, dusty and raw from screams he did not remember loosing. From his pocket he pulled the cameo locket of Piper's. It was dirty and the was beginning to lose its brilliance. Carefully, he opened it and looked upon the faces that smiled at him. He tried to smile back, but his face contorted into something that resembled more a grimace than a smile.

He heard his sons' laughter in his head and replayed the memory the photograph had captured.

_It was Christmas morning. The entire family was gathered around the tree in the living room. Phoebe and Paige were sitting side by side under a blanket in the loveseat opposite the couch that Leo, Piper and Wyatt were squished into. Will was sitting in front of the fireplace on the floor with Prudence, Perry and Veve, he wore a Santa hat and passed presents to people. Victor was sitting in a rocking chair to the side of the tree and Chris sat next to him on the floor. Will had just passed a present to Perry with loudly whispered instructions that it was Uncle Leo's. _

"_This one's for you, Uncle Leo," Perry said as he handed the present to the Elder. _

_Leo smiled, "Thank you Perry." _

_Chris and Wyatt eagerly watched as their father unwrapped the present that they had spent hours searching for. They knew how much their dad had enjoyed old western films and had finally been able to locate a copy of John Wayne's first movie. _

_Leo loved the present – he hadn't been able to see this particular John Wayne film in years. He looked at his sons – knowing they were responsible for the present that had been labeled from "Santa" in Chris's handwriting. Reaching around Piper, Leo put his hand on Wyatt's shoulder and smiled. Paige lifted her camera to take a picture and just before the flash snapped, Chris dove onto the couch into the laps of his dad, mom and brother. _

It was Leo's favorite memory. It played over and over again in his mind. Sometimes, as it played in his mind he would pause it like a DVD player on his favorite frames: Piper's smile, Wyatt and Chris anxiously awaiting his reaction.

"I love you," Leo's throat cracked in pain as he pushed the words through his lips. "I will not fail again." He closed the locket and looked above, hoping that his promise and prayer were able to jump the boundary between heaven and hell to reach his beloved wife.

* * *

March 18, 2021 

_Dearest, _

_Our Melinda is well – she had a few well-placed kidney shots last night that woke me up and she seems to think my bladder is a trampoline, but other than that she's perfect._

_I had pancakes topped with peaches and honey for breakfast this morning. When you come home, we'll have Chris make them for you. He's been doing so well cooking for the family since I've been placed on bed-rest. He's also been making sure I follow the diet Ava sent to two weeks ago. I'm thankful there is only another month before Melinda is born – I've had all the rest I need for quite some time, thank you very much – not to mention the pattern of our wallpaper is driving me insane. Once I am able to be on my feet again I think I'm going to re-paper or paint. _

_You would be so proud. Chris got an 'A' on his latest math test. He brought it home last night and it's now attached to the refrigerator door. Mr. Everson sent a letter home the other day with Chris. He wants to move Chris from trig into the advanced calculus course. I'm leaving the final decision to Chris, but would love to see him in the college level courses. He might, perhaps, get a challenge then. _

_Wyatt has joined the YMCA basketball team – since Magic School doesn't have any sports. He's the starting center and with the 2 inches he's added since you last saw him, he's almost a whole head taller than the rest of the players. So far, his team has won all of their games. I was only able to attend one before Ava sentenced me to my bedroom prison, but he looked really good out there. He practices with Will every night – they're out in the driveway until 9:30 or 10 p.m. each night – until Paige yells at them to come inside. Don't worry – he's also practicing with Excalibur, but I let him take some time off to work on his jump shot. He seemed to need the release from magic; and we always said we would try and have the boys live as normally as they possibly could._

_Paige and Phoebe are good – they are the same as always. Phoebe was contacted last night by another book publisher, but she turned them down as she's been handling the bands and press for P3 while I'm doing nothing in my blasted bedroom. You'll be happy to know that Veve has finally started to grow out of her "naked" phase – she only ran around the house bare-bottomed for ten minutes last night instead of the usual twenty. As you know, I've been helping Veve with her reading every day afterschool. Last night she read 'Goodnight Moon' all by herself! As soon as we got through it once, we called Paige and she joined us for the second reading. _

_Prudence celebrates her twelfth birthday next week, I had Paige pick out an encylopedia of great artists as well as a book about photography. Denny (as Chris is calling her more and more these days) has gotten interested in art lately – mostly painting, but she's always been interested in cameras. Perry has moved into Chris and Wyatt's room while Dad stays with us. Will and Dad lofted Wyatt and Chris's beds and somehow managed to fit a bed for Perry in the room – as well as a dresser for him. Dad's taken over P3 for me, and you, of all people, will understand the relief I feel not needing to worry about the club for a bit. Don't tell Dad, but I think he's doing a better job than I could!_

_I haven't told anyone but you what Death said to me six months ago when I was hovering between here and the afterlife. I keep turning the phase over in my mind, but cannot think of who would have sent a message to me through Death. "We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears." I can't help but think of you, dearest, when the words play in my head; and I worry that perhaps your promise to our Chris was the beginning of your unmaking._

_I miss you fiercely dearest, as does everyone else. We're still trying to find you, but I'm beginning to give up hope. Please, wherever you are, come home to your family soon. _

_Love, Piper_

* * *

History was one of Prudence's favorite classes. It had nothing to do with the subject content, but everything to do with Bobby McCormick, the cutest boy in the sixth grade. Her mother was quite impressed with the recent jump in Prudence's history grade. Prudence didn't have the heart to tell her mom it was because her teacher was looking for students to tutor other students. In her favorite fantasy, Bobby was failing history and the teacher asked Prudence to help him understand the Louisiana Purchase. With Prudence's tutoring, Bobby would ace the next test. Indebited to her for saving his history grade, Bobby would ask Prudence to the Spring Fling dance and they would dance away the evening. And then, at the very end of the night, just before the clock struck her curfew, Bobby would give her and kiss and confess his love for her.

"Miss. Halliwell?" A voice tried to interrupt her fantasy. "Miss. Halliwell?"

Blinking rapidly, Prudence shook the daydream out of her head as she realized her teacher, Ms. Niedon was calling on her. The rest of her classmates giggled as Prudence turned four different shades of pink and red. "Yes, Ms. Niedon?"

"Can you tell me about the Louisiana Purchase?" Prudence's teacher asked. She was in her mid-forties; she was slim and tall with a pinched nose and fair complexion. The only thing that gave away her age was the streaks of gray in her hair that was always worn in a tight bun on top of her head.

"Uh, um," Prudence tried desperately to remember what she had reviewed this morning at the breakfast table. However, the only thing that came to mind was Chris's mouth full of half-chewed pancake. Suddenly, her notes appeared like a photo in her mind and Prudence spoke clearly and concisely, "The Louisiana Purchase was sold to the United States by France in 1803. It includes the areas that are present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota (west of the Mississippi River) North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, nearly all of the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Rocky Mountains, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River but including the city of New Orleans. President Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe and Robert Livingston to France to seal the deal. The bought the whole territory from Napoleon for 15 million."

The bell signifying the end of the period rung as Prudence finished her answer.

"Very good Prudence. Students, you will need to read chapters 12 and 13 for tomorrow's class. Please make sure you know all about the Louisiana Purchase, we might have a quiz tomorrow."

Prudence gathered up her books and exited the room with the rest of her classmates. Next up was fourth period – physical science and potions – she would need to go back to her locker and get her lab binder and apron before heading to Uncle Will's classroom. She was almost at her locker when she heard someone calling out her name.

"Hey! Prudence!"

Prudence turned around and found herself staring straight into Bobby McCormick's blue eyes. She felt her cheeks turn pink, then red. _Oh great! The cutest boy in school wants to talk to me and I blush before he even says anything!"_

"So, uh, Prudence – I was, uh, um, wondering if you could, uh, um – help me study for tomorrow's history quiz? You, uh, seem to really know your, uh, stuff. And, um, uh –I, I'm totally lost." _Smooth B., really smooth, _twelve-year-old Bobby thought to himself.

Prudence felt her cheeks turn redder, _if it's even possible!_ She thought to herself. "Sure, B-Bobby. I'd be, um, happy to help you. Do you want to meet in the library after last period?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that would be great. Thanks P-P-Prudence," Bobby replied, wincing inwardly at the stuttering. Normally he didn't stutter. Normally it was the girls doing the stuttering when he talked to them. But there was something different and really nice about Prudence Halliwell-Dean. All he knew was that the stuttering had better stop before he had to see her again. "Well, uh – see you, um, la-later," Bobby stammered out before turning around and walking quickly to his next class.

Prudence just stood in the middle of the hallway and watched Bobby McCormick's back as he made his way through the throngs of students crowding the halls of Magic School. She was going to be Bobby McCormick's study buddy for history! He was going to meet her – in the library after school! Her! Prudence's face broke into a huge grin as she did a small happy dance the remaining feet to her locker. _I'm going to be studying for history with Bobby! _The phrase circled over and over in Prudence's mind. The warning bell rung and Prudence snapped out of it enough to grab her books and remember her apron for Uncle Will's class. She would have to sprint if she didn't want to be late.

* * *

Both Chris and Wyatt were sophomores. Chris had tested out of one grade and joined his brother in his class sometime at the beginning of their school careers. Piper had been nervous about the boys being in the same grade. She was afraid it would cause tension and extra competition between the two – but it had never become an issue. The brothers were the best of friends, and although they moved around in completely different social circles, they never let the politics of high school throw a wrench in their friendship.

Currently, both of them were sitting in trigonometry – a class Wyatt wouldn't be getting a passing grade in if it weren't for his brainac little brother. Wyatt owed Chris all of his grades in math, as well as science and history. And Chris owed Wyatt his grades in Phys Ed and Spanish. It all balanced out in the end.

Chris was sitting one desk ahead of Wyatt. Chris's head was bent down and his focus was on the paper he was furiously scribbling on. Wyatt figured his little brother was attempting extra credit by solving the "challenge of the day" equation that their teacher always had on the chalkboard. Wyatt really didn't care if x 7 or 700. But Chris had been driven, even when they were kids, to solve every problem posed to him. Chris once told Wyatt that he viewed every mathematical equation as a mystery – and he wanted to be the world's greatest detective. Wyatt responded by telling Chris he would be Dr. Watson to Chris's Sherlock Holmes.

It was near the end of the period, _Thank God,_ thought Wyatt as he watched the hands of the clock tick off the final three minutes of class. He had been sitting for the past fifteen minutes not really listening to Mr. Everson, but doodling pictures of football fields and Excalibur on his notepad.

Chris put his hand up – he had finally solved the "challenge of the day."

"Yes – Christopher." Mr. Everson interrupted his lecture on tangents and cosigns.

"I have the answer to the daily challenge," Chris answered.

"Let's see what you have," Mr. Everson held out his arm, handing Chris a piece of chalk. Chris took his notepad to the front of the room with him. And he began detailing to the class what "x" equaled.

"And that is 42. Which makes 'x' 13." Chris stated, just as the bell rung. Mr. Everson nodded his head, "That's correct. The method is a little rough, but you've got the right answer Christopher. I'll add 10 extra credit points to your grade."

Wyatt raised his hand, "Think you could add it to mine instead Mr. Everson? Chris's perfect scores are already screwing up the curve."

Mr. Everson chuckled at the good-natured remark, "Perhaps you should think about trig a little more than sports Wyatt – you just might surprise yourself. At the very least your 'C' would be a 'C+'. Class: tonight, you'll want to do the sample problems in chapter 8 on tangents. Dismissed."

There was the general clamor and commotion as the 30 students embarked from their desks into the hallways of Magic School. Wyatt shook his head, "Way to go Chris – now we're all even more behind you're perfect score."

Chris shrugged his shoulders as he followed his brother out into the hallway, "I can't help that I'm perfect Wy – you know that!" And before his brother could sock him in the arm, Chris sped down the hall to his next class.

* * *

Paige was exasperated, simply exasperated. There was still a stack of papers left to grade on her desk, a stack of them on the coffee table in the conservatory back at the manor, and her "inbox" had just been magically stacked to overflowing – again.

"Ben! Ben, where are you?" Paige called out to her assistant.

A young man in his mid-twenties stepped inside Paige's office not 2 seconds after her call. "What do you need Mrs. Mitchell?" Ben asked as he set a cup of herbal tea on Paige's desk for her.

Paige didn't bother to look up; she couldn't afford the time. "Tea. Tea would be great. And then, maybe if you could lose these papers somewhere, circular file, the fireplace, throw them into an alternate plane…"

Ben cleared his throat just slightly and Paige glanced up and noticed the tea sitting just 8 inches away from her hand. "Boy, talk about service...now, what about all these papers?" She smiled wryly.

"Sorry Mrs. Mitchell – "

"Ben, it's Paige – how many times do I have to ask you to call me Paige?"

"Sorry, Mrs. – er, Paige. I sensed you needed something relaxing, I thought the tea would help."

"I always knew it would be handy to have a telepathic assistant," Paige quipped. "Thanks Ben – it's much appreciated." She searched through the stacks of papers on her desk and pulled a file out from underneath one of the larger stacks. "When you get a chance, if you could put in the weekly potions order? I just don't have time to do it myself this week. You know what we need, right?" Paige asked Ben.

"Sure thing Paige, I'll handle it right away." The young man took the file bulging with purchase orders and receipts. Giving Paige a quick smile, Ben headed back to his office and left the headmistress to her work.

Paige's office was off of the main library. It was quite a large room, but the walnut paneling on the walls and thick, dark red draperies made the room feel cozy and intimate. Hundreds upon hundreds of books filled the floor to ceiling shelves and file cabinets filled the wall behind the massive walnut table that was Paige's desk. _My desk,_ thought Paige,_ I don't think I remember what the top of this thing looks like…where the hell is my pen?_

Paige sighed and snatched the papers out of her inbox. Not only did she have to review all of the graduate and upper level student's midterm exams and her own classes papers; she apparently had to review faculty evaluations as well. _Oh goody,_ Paige thought, taking slow sips of her tea.

A shriek echoed down the Great Hall – Paige's head instantly snapped up at attention. Curious, and slightly worried, Paige got up from her desk and quickly exited the office into the Great Hall. One of the upper level students, Calliope, was running at top speed her way, her cheeks flushed bright red with physical exertion. "Help! Mrs. Mitchell!" she called out, "Help!"

"Calliope? What is it? What's wrong?" Paige asked the frantic student.

"Someone's let loose all the frogs and mice from the advanced magic classes!"

Paige groaned to herself. Her son, Perry and his best friend Puck were ingenious at finding ways to get into all sorts of trouble. Barely eight-years-old, the two had landed in Paige's office more times than she was willing to admit. As the mother and administrator, it was downright embarrassing the number of times her son had been sent to her office. However, as a kid at heart, Paige had to admit that freeing the frogs and mice was funny. However, the situation was quickly turning into a downright riot. Students were pouring out of their classrooms to see what the big deal was only to get their feet trampled by skittering mice and burping bullfrogs. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the two of them had been behind this latest prank.

"Ben!" Paige called. "Get my son and his friend Puck to my office as soon as possible! I'm going to try and clean this mess up!"

* * *

By the time the last of the mice and frogs had been returned to their rightful classrooms, the two cohorts in crime were waiting for her outside her office door. They were seated directly across from and under the watchful eye of Ben. The two young pranksters sat side by side, hands folded politely in the laps. Their eyes were downcast and their short legs hung a few inches above the ground.

"Well – that's taken care of." Paige said as she entered, "Anything pressing Ben?"

Her assistant shook his head no, continuing his paperwork.

Paige turned to the boys and sighed. "All right you two, come with me." She opened her office door as Perry and Puck jumped down from their waiting room seats to walk in her office. Paige brought up the rear.

After the two had seated themselves in front of her desk, Paige began. "What am I going to do with the two of you?" She had sat for a split second before getting up and pacing in back of her desk. "Perry, I'm disappointed in you. Letting loose the frogs and mice? You stopped three sections of advanced magic from completing their lessons today – not to mention your joke exhausted Mrs. Rinehold's temporal stasis powers. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Perry sat, letting his mother's lecture run its course. It hadn't been his idea to free all of the frogs and mice – it had been Puck's. They had walked by the advanced magic classrooms on their way back from recess when Puck had gotten the idea. A two-line spell, and instant chaos. Girls were standing on their chairs to get away from the mice – boys were chasing after the frogs trying to catch them before they leapt away with their powerful legs. But Perry wasn't going to rat out his best friend. He would take whatever punishment his mom was going to dole out.

Before Perry was able to say anything in his defense, Paige continued on – bulldozing her way through the two seconds of silence that had hung in the air. "And Puck! What have you got to say for yourself, huh? Now I've got three sections of advanced magic behind one full day and need to order more mice and frogs because we couldn't find them all! And this is all thanks to your stupid prank! I'm really getting tired of these jokes guys, when people are put at a disadvantage they're no longer funny." Paige stopped pacing and looked at the boys – she had an idea that the prank had been Puck's brainstorm, but she had no way to prove it. And if neither were willing to cop to the act, they would have to be punished equally. "No recess for the both of you for two weeks. When your classmates are at recess, you will report to my office. If I am not here, you will sit with Ben. He or I will walk you back to your class when they have returned. Is that clear?"

Both boys looked up at Paige and nodded, not daring to say a word. "Okay then – you may return to your class." Paige walked to her office door and opened it, "Ben, can you please escort these two men back to their classroom? Please let their teacher know they will be spending the next two week's recesses in my office." The boys walked single file out of her office, ready to rejoin their classmates and divulge their tale. "Oh, and Perry?" Paige called after her son, "You'll need to tell your dad about this tonight at the dinner." If it was possible, Perry's head hung even further as he followed Ben back to his classroom.

* * *

There was a mild amount of chaos in the Halliwell Manor as dinnertime neared. Will had agreed to fire up the grill that night and was currently keeping half an eye on the burgers and hot dogs while helping Wyatt with his dribbling techniques.

Paige was sitting at the patio table correcting papers from her advanced potions class while helping Prudence and Perry with their homework. Veve happily watched Wyatt and her daddy play basketball from her sandbox.

Phoebe and Chris were in the kitchen putting the finishing touches the side dishes.

"I solved the challenge of the day in trig," Chris was saying to his aunt, divulging to her his latest academic conquests. "And Mr. Everson gave me another 10 extra credit points. Then I helped Uncle Will with Prudence's lab today – they just began learning how to make all-purpose vanquishing potions. Of course, Denny was bored out of her mind – she's known about that stuff for years. So Uncle Will had her work on a more advanced potion and I was her partner – hey, did you know that Wyatt got an 'A' on his latest mechanics test? He waved the perfect grade right under my nose at lunch. Shouldn't those burgers be ready by now?" Chris interrupted himself to yell out the window, "Hey, Uncle Will! Are the burgers done?"

Phoebe joined her nephew at the window, "Did you remember to put my portabella mushroom on Will? You know I won't eat those burgers!" Phoebe had been a vegetarian since before Wyatt had been born.

Will shot the basketball to the hoop and turned his attention from his nephew's jump shot to the barbecue. "Yeah – looks like we're ready. Aw – crap. Sorry Phoebe! Forgot your mushroom. Don't worry – it'll be done in a sec!"

"It better be William Mitchell! Or I'll be forced to turn you into a frog!" Phoebe hollered at her brother-in-law, only half-joking, she was really hungry.

Paige's head snapped up from the paper she was grading, "Are you threatening my husband?" She demanded with fake attitude.

At the mention of frogs, Perry giggled. He was picturing all of the older girls squealing in terror just because a few mice got loose. Paige shot her son a look through her reading glasses and down the length of her nose. It was her "no-nonsense-don't-mess-with-the-headmistress look – a look that she had been given plenty of opportunities to perfect over the years. Perry slid down in his seat and buried himself in his reading assignment.

Phoebe and Paige began playful sisterly bickering at that point and Chris moved away from the window. It was time to put everything on the dining room table. On his second trip with a bowl potato salad in one hand and a basket of assorted buns in the other, he heard a scream from upstairs. Chris orbed to his mom's room without stopping to put the food on the table.

Chris froze. Upon entering his mom's room, he found a Celerity demon advancing on Piper. She kept flicking her wrists to blow the demon up or freeze him, but Melinda seemed only interested in light shows. Each time Piper twisted her wrists, blue and white orbs exploded like fireworks over the Celerity demon's head. Victor, who had been discussing P3 business with Piper until the demon attacked, had been flung to one side. He was slumped to the floor, dazed, with a gash in his arm. Images from six months ago pummeled Chris's brain – the sight of the demon's blade ripping through his mother's chest.

Chris's eyes flashed. _Not this time. _Dropping the food from his hands, Chris telekinetically pushed the demon with all of the strength into the wall opposite his mom's bed. The demon crashed into Piper's dresser and shattered the mirror. Using his telekinesis again, Chris picked the demon up and slammed him against the wall opposite him. The demon fell to the floor, not five freet from the alcove that would once again serve as a nursery. He was dazed and the wind knocked out of him from the young witch's power. Chris then directed several glass shards from the broken mirror across the room. They punctured the Celerity demon in dozens of places and forced the demon to his knees. With an air of finality, Chris twisted the demon's knife off of his wrist and buried the blade, past the hilt into his chest. His screamed echoed through the house as he was vanquished.

"Chris?" Piper called out to her son. She saw the detachment and coldness in his eyes. It was a look her other Chris would have worn. But not this Chris – not her baby boy. Apparently the man she thought had died 15 years ago lived on. Piper had hoped she would never have to reveal to her youngest son the alter-ego who had come from the future to save his family and stop his brother from becoming an evil dictator. But in that moment Piper knew, one day she would have to tell him. One day he would need to know the whole story, and she prayed when that day came, that she would have the strength to tell him. She called out to her son again, "Chris?"

She saw the hardness in his face soften as he became aware of his surroundings once more.

"Mom?" His voice was shaky. He was not sure what had just some happened just that it felt as if for that minute someone else had been controlling his thoughts and actions. It was almost as if he had pressed a button and gone on auto-pilot.

Wyatt and Paige appeared in orbs with Phoebe and Will just then. The demon's scream alerting them that something was not quiet right in their house.

"Everybody okay?" Paige asked before she had fully formed.

Chris nodded numbly towards Victor as he moved to his mother's side for comfort. "Grandpa."

Wyatt wasted no time, moving to his Grandfather's side to heal the mortal. It wasn't the first time Victor had thrown caution aside and fought a demon in attempt to save one of his daughters.

Will surveyed the room – the shards of glass and splinters covered the plush carpet. "What happened?" He asked warily, only half-wanting to know the answer.

Piper spoke up, "A demon attacked – but everything is okay, thanks to Chris." Piper smiled proudly at her youngest son as she held his hand. Melinda didn't want Mommy blowing up the big bad demon, so Chris came to the rescue. How's grandpa?" she asked Wyatt.

Victor was now back in one piece and sitting up with the assistance of his healer. "Grandpa's just fine." He said groaning. His joints were too old for this kind of activity. "Thank you Wyatt. How's my girl?" He asked Piper, concerned the demon might have gotten to her.

"Just fine Dad," Piper said grinning. She was about to continue when her water broke. Her eyes widened as the fluid poured from her. She looked to her sisters for help. "Um, guys?"

All eyes in the room turned to her, Paige and Phoebe shared a quick look with Piper, than each other before their own eyes widened with understanding.

"Now?" Paige asked, "You can't be serious." There had been already too much excitement in her day.

"I kinda don't have a say in the schedule, do I now Paige?" Piper shot back.

"Okay – all men, young, old and married – out!" Phoebe began to shoo her nephews, brother-in-law and father out of her sister's room.

Wyatt and Chris were the only two who did not understand. "What? Why? Mom? What's going on?" Chris bit out as his aunt tried to push him into the hallway.

"Chris – call Ava. Tell her we need her." Paige instructed her nephew as she began to gather clean sheets and a new nightgown for Piper.

"Don't worry guys! I'll be okay!" Piper called out after her sons, "Your baby sister wants to come out and play!"

* * *

A big thanks to all of my reviewers! Am relieved that you guys enjoyed the last chapter. It was supposed to build to this chapter - and it seemed to have worked quite well! This chapter was especially long, but I didn't want to break it up into two - there just wasn't a good point to do that.

Zeria: Thanks for the tip. Believe it or not, I feel it's helped - what do you think:)

Toodles! M.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Eight years in the future…_

The pounding bass shook her headboard making it impossible for her to sleep. _What in the world was I thinking? _She wondered, groaning. _Why – why did I agree to live with Wyatt and Chris above P3?_

Admittedly, in the beginning, living above a nightclub that your cousins owned sounded pretty cool for the nineteen-year-old Prudence. The four-bedroom loft was on the second floor of the warehouse P3 operated out of. For years, it had been ignored and used as storage. However, when Victor had run the business for Piper during her pregnancy with Melinda, he got the idea to renovate the space into an apartment and create some more revenue for the club. When Wyatt and Chris had started college they decided they wanted to move out on their own. But Piper wouldn't let them move into the dorms – for obvious reasons. Halfway into the school year, the people renting the apartment had to break their lease and the boys convinced Piper to let them rent the place in exchange for labor at P3.

When Prudence started studying at the local university, Wyatt and Chris asked her if she would like to move out of the room she had shared with Veve for ten years and move in with them. Though she loved her little cousin, Prudence craved her own room, the space to paint and a little freedom from her mother and Aunt Paige – who loved to try and matchmake her with the younger professors at Magic School.

Now, however, living above one of the hottest nightspots in town was not helping her get the rest Prudence needed before her art history mid-term. The test made up 30 of her grade and she needed a high score, as her attendance was definitely not going to help her get an 'A' and keep her scholarship. She had way too many "family-emergencies" for her professor's liking this semester. Plus, tomorrow night was her big date with Miller – a very cute sophomore who she had met in the film lab. Dark circles under her eyes would not a good impression make.

_Chris?_ Prudence telepathed to her cousin who was downstairs behind the bar.

What's up Denny? What are you still doing awake, huh? I thought you were going to head to bed early tonight so you could get up early and review your test notes. Chris answered back a few seconds later. 

Yeah, that was the original plan. I've been trying to get to sleep for the past 2 hours. There's just too much noise – sounds like Wyatt's spinning tonight.

Yeah – he kicked the band off the stage and took control of the entertainment. Don't know why he hired them to begin with.

Think you could give me a lift to the Manor?

I can't leave…Cameron just got sick and I told him to go home. How about a soundproofing spell?

I don't care as long as I get some sleep. I need sleep Chris!

Sure thing Denny. Night.

Night.

Ten minutes later Prudence was falling asleep to the blissful sounds of nothing.

* * *

In the end, there had been little struggle. He had grown too powerful. Not even the strongest or the cleverest could stand against him. They had tried though – they had tried to form an army. They had tried to march against him. But the hundreds had lost to him. They had lost to his lust for vengeance. He had destroyed most of them. Those remaining had scattered to the far reaches of the Underworld in fear. 

He was weary. Tired of the quest he had forced upon himself. There was no way to eradicate the world of every evil – but he would try. But why? He had forgotten why he fought. Why his fists were curled in tight rage. Why hate had blackened his soul. Why his heart still burned for vengeance.

His mind had been corrupted by the few minutes he had fused his magic with Excalibur. His memories stolen by the years of killing. He had regressed to knowing only of survival – the most basic instinct known to all – evil or good. He was living a nightmare. His brain pulsed with the echoes of screams and desperate cries. They tried to break him.

He slumped to the ground and sat on a large outcropping of rock overlooking more rock and more devastation. The remains of the demon army – if there were any to be found – were scattered throughout the cavern.

In the dim, reddish glow his features were masked; but the sadness that stooped his shoulders was evident. In the rare moments he rested he tried to remember what had come before this. What had his life been like before the endless days of vanquishing? He tried to remember the vibrant rainbow that colored the world above. The man appraised his surroundings. He had roamed this realm of rock and evil for years, it was all he knew, the only home he remembered.

When the loneliness threatened to overwhelm him, he would reach into his pocket and pull out a cameo necklace. It was dirty; and the gold, once luminescent, was now tarnished. It didn't matter. Once there had been a picture inside of it. He tried to remember what the picture had been of, but the memory, like the picture, had been lost. There was only the faint whisper of a scent – some type of flower, perhaps – and a pair of cinnamon colored eyes.

The eyes haunted his every thought and action. They had watched him throughout the years, following, observing – judging. They watched his skin become pallid from lack of sun. They watched his cheeks sink and the light fade from his eyes. They watched his eyes release dry tears. They watched him vanquish demon after demon. Whose cinnamon eyes watched his every sin? Did they belong to a woman? Had she been his love once upon a time? Had the two of them shared love?

Love. The man turned the word over in his mind. He had known love once – he was sure of it. But all he knew now was desire. He was breathless for the caress of warm skin. He panted at the thought of soft lips grazing his cracked and bruised lips.

He sighed. He had done all he could here. The evil that resided in this rocky realm had retreated. Fear had pushed it into the shadows. Fear of him. But there was much evil in the world yet. He could feel it and hear it as it moved through the mortals above him. He had done all he could here. It was time to move on. It was time to move above.

He took one last look – at the rock, the dirt, and the remains of the vanquished. He took one last breath and then disappeared.

* * *

"Come on Melinda! You're going to be late for school!" Piper Halliwell was standing at the base of the stairs in the middle of the foyer waiting for her seven-year-old daughter to get her butt in gear. 

Her brown-haired, green-eyed daughter appeared in sparkling blue orbs next to her. Classes at Magic School began at 8:10 a.m. sharp. It was 7:45 and she was still in her pajamas, mouth wide with a yawn.

"Why are you not dressed for school Melinda Ann Halliwell! Don't you know that school starts in less than a half-an-hour!"

"I'm not feeling good Mommy," Melinda replied sleepily.

Piper frowned and reached out to feel her daughter's forehead, it was warm. "Open your mouth for me," Piper said and Melinda readily obeyed, familiar with the steps her mother took to check for sickness. Piper looked down the girl's throat, but there was no redness. "Does your tummy hurt?" Melinda nodded. "Are you achy?" Piper asked. Melinda nodded again.

She was not surprised; the flu had been running rampant through the halls of Magic School for the past few weeks. Paige had already been ill three times; Piper had been waiting for Melinda to come down with bug as well. "It looks like you're not going to school today," Piper said as she took her daughter's hand and led Melinda back upstairs to the bedroom she shared with her older cousin Veve.

The room had been repainted by Wyatt and Will only last year. Piper remembered the name on the paint sample being "warm sunlight." It was a buttery, bright yellow that was appropriate for both the thirteen-year-old and the seven-year-old who made the room their residence. Veve's half of the room was decorated in a very romantic style. Her bed was an old wrought iron daybed they had found in the attic. Will, with the help of Chris, had gotten it out of storage and within two weeks all traces of rust were gone and it had a fresh coat of white paint. The bed linens were all different shades of pink. And Veve had her dad hang pictures of her favorite romantic heroines above her bed – Isolde, Elaine and her namesake, Guinevere. The castle shaped lamp from Veve's childhood was on her bedside table. The shelves above her desk were filled with books of fairy tales and legends.

The other half of the bedroom was not quite so…dreamy. Melinda had regular-sized twin bed with a dark stained wooden frame. Because Melinda liked bolder colors, Piper had gotten her navy blue and orange bed linens. On her nightstand sat a single picture of her father. Though she had never met him, her brothers and mother had told her all about her daddy and she knew he loved and missed her.

Until recently, the floor on Melinda's side had been covered with stuffed animals. She loved all animals and was convinced she was going to be a vet for all creatures – magical and non-magical – when she grew up. After much begging on Piper's part, Wyatt and Chris had devoted an afternoon to hanging a canopy above Melinda's bed out of netting that would house Melinda's incredible collection. The canopy project had been a success and now Melinda looked up at all of her stuffed animals every night as she drifted off to sleep.

Piper tucked her little one under her covers and smiled, "You're going to be just fine little Doll – Mommy's going to take care of you today, okay?" Doll was the nickname Melinda had been given the day she was born by her older brother Wyatt. The 16-year-old had remarked while watching her nap, she looked like a doll. The nickname had stuck. "I'm going to go downstairs and write a quick note to your teacher, but I promise I'll be back soon, okay?"

Melinda again nodded and snuggled closer to the stuffed moose Chris had won her at the street fair last week. By the time Piper had opened the bedroom door to leave, Melinda was already back in the land of dreams.

Wyatt was sitting at the kitchen table helping himself to a second donut from the large platter of breakfast pastries as he stuffed one into his mouth – whole. Upon entering the kitchen, Piper swatted his hand from the donut. "Where are your manners?"

Chris, who was busy pouring himself a very large mug of coffee, snorted. "I'm convinced that summer he supposedly spent at Magic camp with his friends he was really staying with a pack of wolves. You should see his room." Piper's youngest son said dryly.

Wyatt glared playfully at his brother while reaching for the donut Piper had slapped his hand away from a moment earlier. "Don't mess with me before the coffee kicks in, Squirt." He said, while proceeding to take a huge gulp of the liquid caffeine.

Squirt was a nickname from their childhood. Wyatt had always been the taller of the two. At 24, Piper's oldest son stood at 6'5". The two boys were the exact opposite of each other in appearance. For the umpteenth time in their lives, Piper marveled once more how the two men who looked and acted so little alike could possibly be related, much less brothers. Wyatt was built like his father with thick, broad shoulders – they kind a girl could really lean on when she needed to. As a teen he had worn his blond hair long, but shortly before graduating from college he had shaved his head on a dare. Now he wore it short, buzzed close to the scalp. His green eyes were sharp and bright, and like Leo's had been, they were always warm and kind. Sometimes it was he was the only one to appreciate the pranks Perry pulled.

Despite Piper's cooking and a healthy appetite, Chris's 5'11" frame was lean. Lanky would be the best way to describe Piper and Leo's youngest son. He looked exactly like his alter ego from the future had. His brown hair was shaggy and unkempt and his green eyes, though warm with compassion, always had a slight sadness in them. His reserved and quiet nature preferred evenings with his family or reading. It certainly didn't suit running a nightclub.

Right after college, Chris and Wyatt bought P3 from their mother for two dollars and dinner at her favorite restaurant. The two split everything equally. Wyatt handled the bands and promotions, Chris took care of the staff and the books.

"How was the band last night?" Piper asked as she rummaged through the obligatory junk drawer every kitchen had for a pen and paper.

Chris moved to the table, helping himself to the grapes and cantaloupe on the kitchen counter before sitting down.

"Not bad," Wyatt said, mouth half full of donut. "But they weren't great either. I couldn't figure it out – their audition was really good. Halfway through their first set our crowd was about to leave, so I pulled 'em off the stage, told 'em to get college degrees and give up. I ended up deejaying the rest of the night."

Piper turned and cocked one eyebrow in Wyatt's direction. "What was the band?"

"Idiot Savants." Chris answered since Wyatt had just stuffed another donut into his mouth.

"Where are they coming up with these names?" Piper asked, joining the boys at the kitchen table. "Have you been to sleep yet? Do you want me to make you an omelet or something?"

Wyatt just nodded, still chewing the donut.

Chris ticked off answers to Piper's questions with his fingers. "One, not a clue. But I do think my brother was an idiot for hiring them in the first place. Ow!" Chris exclaimed as Wyatt kicked him under the table. The two gave each other dirty looks as Chris continued. "Two, didn't get a lot of sleep, maybe 3 hours? We were short a waitress last night and Cameron got sick and had to leave early so we finished cleaning the place about 3:30 this morning. And three, yes, an omelet would be great. Could I get one with the works?"

Piper smiled, "Sure honey – I just have to get this note written before Veve takes off for school."

Wyatt's brow furrowed, "What's the note for?"

Piper sighed, "Melinda has the flu that Paige had last week – and the week before that – and two weeks before that I think." Piper responded.

Wyatt started to rise out of his chair with the intention of healing Melinda. After all, he was the older brother. It was his job to protect his younger siblings; and after 24 years on the job, he liked to think he was pretty good at it.

Piper stopped Wyatt halfway out of his seat with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Sit back down young man. If you keep healing Melinda, she'll never build up a tolerance to any germs and she'll have to live in a bubble or something when she's older."

"You always gotta go show off and heal everything – even the paper cuts!" Chris said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Ease up dude – you weren't complaining when you broke your arm when we were kids." Wyatt retorted. "You don't want Melly to suffer anymore than I do. You're just jealous that I can heal and you can't."

"Here we go again." Chris said dryly. "Contrary to popular belief Wy, I do not envy you because of your 'twice-blessed' status."

Piper interrupted before her sons could take their bickering to the next level. "Enough. Please guys. You're going to give me a migraine."

Veve bounced into the kitchen, her long black ringlets bouncing after her in the ponytail they had been coaxed into. "Morning!" She said brightly. She went over to the refrigerator and pulled the carafe of orange juice out before shutting the door with her hip.

"Good Morning Veve," Piper replied, amazed at the girl's natural perkiness in the morning. _Must have been something she inherited from her dad, _Piper thought. _God knows Paige doesn't even have a vocabulary until she's downed about 3 cups of coffee._ "All set for school?" she asked.

Veve turned to face her aunt, glass of OJ in hand. "Yup."

"Books?" Piper questioned.

"In my bag." Veve responded, gesturing to the messenger bag that was slung across her body.

"Homework?" Chris and Wyatt's heads began to follow the conversation like they would a tennis match.

"Finished." She replied while returning the juice carafe to the refrigerator.

"Lunch?"

"Mom's treating me to lunch today at school," Veve replied.

"Note for Melinda's teacher?"

"Huh?" Veve was finally tripped up. Aunt Piper gave her the third degree every morning. At first it was kinda irritating, but now it was routine for them – and, Veve grudgingly admitted, kinda fun.

"Melinda's sick. She has that stomach flu that's been going around. You were in the bathroom getting ready when she woke up."

"Oh – tell Melly I hope she's feeling better," Veve said as she took the note Piper was handing her. "And let her know when I get home tonight, we'll finish our book from yesterday."

"What are you guys reading?" Wyatt asked with one eyebrow raised. He knew his cousin – it was going to include at least one damsel in distress.

"The Twelve Dancing Princesses," Veve replied, "It's my favorite and Melly's been reading it to me." She then turned to Piper, "Where's Perry?"

"Already at school serving that morning detention Paige had to give him yesterday," Piper replied.

"What did he do this time, Mom?" Chris asked.

"He was caught impersonating Paige," Piper replied. "Apparently, he glamoured into his mother, entered the faculty lounge and then proceeded to fire all of the teachers in the room. He didn't count on walking into Paige as he left the lounge. Poor Mrs. McDonagal – she fell apart completely, almost had a heart attack right there in the middle of her pea soup. Paige gave him four weeks of morning and evening detention. He also has to write apology letters to each of the teachers he tricked."

Wyatt burst out laughing. Chris, seeing the Piper's disapproval of Wyatt's reaction, tried to stifle his laughs but failed miserably. Veve rolled her eyes and wondered, for the hundredth time that week alone, how she was related to her idiot brother.

Piper checked the clock above the stove. "Veve, you better get going. Homeroom is in ten – would you two hyenas knock it off!" She interrupted herself to reprimand her sons. Wyatt was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his cheeks. Chris had given himself the hiccups. At their mother's demand, they attempted to stifle their laughter by taking big gulps of air.

"Have a good day Aunt Piper. Bye Chris! Bye Wyatt!" Veve called out as she took her aunt's advice and orbed off to Magic school.

Piper turned and looked at her sons, red-faced and sore from laughing so hard – they were still chuckling. She shook her head at the both of them as she began to get ingredients for omelets out of the refrigerator. "What am I going to do with the two of you!"

* * *

The street was filled with the noise of mortals. Music heavy with bass and lyrics he didn't understand blared from rusted cars that should have been sent to the junkyard years ago. Garbage overflowed trashcans and spilled onto the sidewalk. A wind came up and threw a discarded coffee cup into the middle of the street. It was run over. 

Car exhaust, trash and the smells of food cooking from the diner across the street assaulted his nostrils. No one noticed his unkempt appearance and torn, dirty clothing. No one cared. He passed a man slumped against a building with a sign, "Evil is here!" His clothes were worn and dirty too. No one gave him a second thought. No one cared about him either.

The poor man's sign was right. Evil was there. Leo could feel it, it was all around him. Sensing, he locked onto the strongest source of evil. It was a young man, no more than twenty years old.

Leo followed him as he walked up six blocks to a playground. There were no children there. Children hadn't played on the swings or slide in this park for a long time. Instead, the playground was filled with young men and women with no other place to go and no hope to ever leave their neighborhood.

No one noticed the unkempt man with torn clothing. He was invisible. He followed the boy through the playground and into an alley off the side of the park. All sounds of the street and the crowd in the playground were muffled. The young man stood next to a dumpster, almost halfway down the side street. Leo's shadow on the ground made him turn around, fingertips brushing the switchblade in his back pocket.

"Whatchu doin' here?" The boy asked, his voice rough and ready.

Leo said nothing.

"You come to buy?" The boy asked.

Leo nodded.

"Whatchu want then?"

Leo shrugged, taking a step or two closer to the young man.

"Coke? Smack? PCP?"

Leo narrowed his eyes and shrugged again.

"Look – you stupid? You already up on somethin'? Whatchu want? I don't got all day." The young man demanded, pulling off his sunglasses in frustration.

Leo said nothing, but lifted his left hand. A white beam shot out from Leo's palm into the young man's chest. It burned a hole straight through his heart.

Leo approached the corpse calmly and searched the coat and pant pockets. He even slipped off the young man's shoes. It took him only a few seconds to locate the goods the young man had been selling. Leo placed all of the packets it into a pile on the ground and concentrated, his left hand held out. Moments later, the powders disappeared in a puff of smoke.

He turned and strode out of the alleyway, cutting across the playground like before. At the intersection, he turned left and sensed another demon. There was blood on this one's hands. It was disguised as a middle-aged man. He appeared painfully out of place in this neighborhood with his three-piece suit. His well-polished leather loafers clicked against the pavement as he put as more and more distance between himself and the apartment and the dead young woman he had just left.

Leo narrowed his eyes and followed the suit.

* * *

"I'm coming! I'm coming" Prudence shouted. She was running late for her date with Miller – the cute sophomore from portrait photography. "Crap!" She exclaimed under her breath. At the moment, Prudence had two different shoes on and was trying to decide if she should wear the strappy gold sandals or the dark purple stilettos while trying desperately to hook the medium-sized hoops in her ears. 

Chris poked his head into Prudence's room, "You want me to get the door for you Denny? Whoa – lookin' good tonight 'cuz. Although, I would really recommend wearing with shoes that matched."

She was wearing a white tank top that sported spaghetti straps and cut just above her belly button showing off about an inch of well-toned midriff. Over that, she had layered a gauzy sheer chiffon top in a very pale lilac. Dark-washed bootcut jeans accentuated her long legs. Prudence was almost as tall as Chris, with heels, she was. She had inherited her height, hair color and trust fund from her father. The large brown eyes, love of art, special powers and the knack to rhyme came from her mom's side.

Prudence whipped around from her floor length mirror and shot Chris her best "I-hate-you-so-please-shut-up-glare."

Chris put both hands up, "Okay, okay – I'll be quiet. And I'll get the door."

Prudence turned back round to her mirror – the strappy sandals had her vote. She kicked off the stiletto and pulled on her other sandal. Once fully dressed, Prudence grabbed her lip-gloss, wallet, cell phone and new, incredibly small digital camera from her dresser and threw them into her clutch.

* * *

Miller had very pleasantly surprised Prudence by treating her to a picnic lunch in Ghiradelli square. Afterwards, they shared an ice cream sundae from Ghiradelli's shop and watched the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge. So far, Miller had scored 2 points in Prudence's book for originality and 2 points for letting her pick the toppings on the sundae. 

Now the two were cozied up in one of the VIP booths that surrounded the dance floor of P3 – it didn't matter than neither of them were 21, being tight with the owners had helped them get around that small detail.

Opposite them, Wyatt and his petite girlfriend Evyln were cozied up together. Chris had insisted that they hire a deejay, someone to sub when Wyatt wanted to take a night off. They were testing the new guy tonight – and he was spinning pretty good.

"Hey guys," Chris said as he set drinks down in front of the four of them. "I'd like you two," Chris motioned to Prudence and Miller. "To try the new non-alcoholic cocktail we're thinking about adding to the menu. It's call the Cran-Raz and completely on the house. Wyatt, for you and Evlyn I've got the grown-up version."

Prudence had long been a guinea pig for her brother's non-alcoholic creations and took a sip without asking, knowing if Chris was serving it had already been perfected. And it was – perfect that is.

Miller wasn't as sure, "What's in it?" He asked over the music.

Chris hadn't decided yet whether or not he liked Denny's latest interest. She was like a younger sister to him, and he was incredibly protective of her. Earlier, when the guy had picked Denny up, he seemed nice enough; and had readily volunteered to Chris all of the information he asked. If Denny ever found out Chris played 20 questions with all of her dates, she'd probably never speak to him again. "There's cranberry juice, fresh raspberries, a twist of lime and club soda in there. The grown-up version uses vodka instead of the club soda."

"Fantastic Chris!" Evlyn exclaimed over the noise, "Can I get another?"

Wyatt pushed his glass to Evlyn, "You can have mine, it's too fruity for me." he said, standing up and giving his brother a slight punch on the shoulder. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get myself a beer from the bar. Anyone else?"

Miller took a sip and gave Chris a thumbs up. Job done, Chris gave half-salute and moved onto a table a few feet away that was flagging him down.

Prudence leaned over and spoke into Miller's ear so he would hear her above the music, "Do you want to dance?"

He wasn't that great at it, but for Prudence, why not? "Sure!" Miller accepted and grabbed Prudence's hand and the two of them moved out onto the crowded dance floor.

* * *

The dance club was throbbing with music. Hewas standing across the street from it. He could sense no demons near, but nevertheless, he had been pulled to this place. It seemed familiar to him somehow – he knew that the name "P3" should mean something to him, but the answer was skirting the edges of his consciousness. He needed to move closer. 

There was an alley off to the right and he entered it. The side street circled the building and stopped in the back. There was a chain link fence that stopped him from going any further. There was a small loading dock, a dumpster, recycling bins and a staircase leading to a balcony and the second floor. It was empty but for him and the trash.

He heard the back door begin to creak open and ducked behind one of the recycle bins.

A tall young man with short hair stepped out into the alleyway, with trash bags in each hand. Leo couldn't make out his features in the shadow, but there was something familiar about this man's movements.

_This is the last time I go get myself a drink on a night off, _Wyatt thought. He had gone up to the bar with the intention of getting himself a beer. In a matter of minutes he had poured several drinks, run to the backroom for more liquor and was now taking out the trash. As he lifted the lid of the dumpster, something jingled in the back of his mind. He felt a presence, a very familiar presence nearby. He dropped the bags and looked around, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Hey! Wy!" The back door opened again and a shorter man stepped out directly below the light. The man had shaggy brown hair and piercing green eyes. Leo watched as the man who had first came out turned around. "Evlyn's wondering where the hell her date went – why are you taking the trash out on your night off?"

Wyatt shrugged his shoulders, instantly forgetting about the twinge in the back of his mind. "Dunno. Somehow I volunteered myself for the job."

"Come on Mr. Twice-Blessed, let's get back to the party."

Wyatt made his way to the door, "Right behind ya, Squirt."

The door closed and the two men returned to the club, leaving Leo in his hiding spot. Images, memories flashed before him of the brown-haired young-man.

* * *

_They were on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. _

"_Can we talk?" Leo gently prodded. _

"_There's nothing to talk about." Chris replied with finality in his voice. _

"_I think there is. Quite a bit actually." Leo said calmly. _

"_It doesn't matter." Chris said, shaking his head. _

"_It does to me, Chris. You're my son. I think I deserve to know what I did that's so bad." Leo pushed, hoping to knock down at least one or two bricks in the wall Chris had built between them. _

_Chris turned and narrowed his eyes at Leo. The anger of a lifetime's worth of pain shaking his voice. "You were never there for me. you were there for everybody else. For Mum, Wyatt, half the world. But you were never there for me. you didn't have the time."_

_The words stung Leo, and cut a wound into his heart. His own son believed Leo did not love him – did not want him. He found his voice, "So maybe you came back from the future not just to save Wyatt. Maybe you came back to save us too."_

_Chris looked at his father coldly, "I doubt it." And orbed away. _

* * *

_They were in Piper's bedroom. _

"_You have to find Wyatt." Chris said, trying to catch his breath. _

"_We're going to find him together," Leo replied as he tried to heal the wound Gideon had inflicted. _

"_It won't work. You've already tried. Gideon's magic did this to me. He's the only one who can stop it." Chris said, pushing Leo's hands away. "Just…go. Saving Wyatt saves the future. You know that."_

"_I'm not going to choose between you and Wyatt, Chris. I can't." Leo said, the tears forming in his eyes. _

"_You don't have to, Dad. Find Gideon and you save us both."_

* * *

_He was in one of the receiving rooms at the hospital. _

_Leo gazed at the little man in his arms – Piper and I created you, he thought. The small newborn gurgled gently and grabbed his father's finger with his tiny fist, letting him know he loved him and needed him too._

_As he blinked back his tears, Leo made a promise. I'm so sorry Chris – I don't understand why you were taken away from us. I'll make sure that no one ever harms you or our family ever again. I swear to you Chris…_

* * *

_Leo and Chris were standing in Golden Gate Park, both of them flying kites. Chris was about eleven. Leo remembered their kites dancing in the blue sky. Chris attempted a few show-off moves. The wind died down eventually, and the two of them realized they were hungry. The walked a few blocks to their favorite hot dog stand. They each ordered two hot dogs and a shake; strawberry for Chris, vanilla for Leo._

_Father and son sat side by side on a picnic table gazing out into the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge._

_"Hey, Dad?" Chris asked after taking a sip of his shake to wash down the first of his dogs._

_"What Chris?" Leo replied, looking down at his son._

_"Are you ever going to leave us again?" The young boy looked up expectantly at his father, he was scared to know the truth but terrified not to ask the question. He wanted to know – he needed to know._

_Leo sighed. They had never told Chris and Wyatt why Leo had been gone or where he went. It would have prompted too many questions. Questions Leo and Piper didn't want or know how to answer. "I don't know what the future holds Chris," Leo finally answered. "But I can tell you that you are one of the three most important people in my life. You're my son. And where ever you are, I'll be there as well."_

_The young boy thought about the answer he had gotten for a moment. He nodded, that was okay._

_The two continued to eat their hot dogs in peace. Several minutes later, Chris slurped the last of his shake through his straw. Both got up to leave, Leo holding both of the kites._

_"Race you home?" Chris asked his father, grinning mischievously as they rounded the corner to an empty alleyway._

* * *

Leo breathed heavily, dizzy by the onslaught of memories that had flooded his senses. He struggled, but managed to get to his feet. His thoughts flickered back to the promise he had made to Chris as a newborn. Was this why he had been in the Underworld? If he had a son, did this mean he had a family? A wife? He ran. Out of the alley, away from the life he had forgotten.

* * *

Sorry this took me so long to post - I've been agonizing over this chapter for the past week! I hope you guys enjoy it! Just click that little purple button and let me know what you think! I'm hoping to have the next Chapter posted this weekend. - Toodles! M. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello All! So sorry for the delayed update. For the past two weeks life has gotten in the way of my life! Anyways, I finally have my free time back and am eager to get the next few chapters to you. Thanks for your patience - I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter 11**

It was late, or very early depending on how you wanted to look at it. After the last customer had shuffled out and stumbled into a cab and the employees had finished clean up, Chris was left to lock P3 up. The clock in the club said it was 3:30 a.m. He counted the cash in the till, but in truth, the only thing he was interested in was counting sheep. He was almost half-asleep when four demons shimmered in.

They were hideous things really; twice his size and their wide gray and green mottled faces were covered with small horns.

Chris threw one of the demons against the far wall – aiming his body for a booth and not the expensive sound equipment on stage. He tried to blow another up, but his powers only made a small explosion and barely made the demon sway in his stance. Chris dropped to the floor behind the bar. He needed back up. Fast.

_Wyatt! Denny!_ A few beats later two very groggy witches orbed into the middle of the dance floor. However the fireball that whizzed between Wyatt and Prudence's heads helped them wake up faster than a coffee IV drip.

"Whoa!" Prudence blurted, flattening herself to the ground. A second later she had rolled onto her back and flipped up, her legs landing two solid kicks into one of the demon's chests. She turned, and challenged the demon to come at her again, "Whaddya got?"

Meanwhile, Wyatt had released a stream of lightning from his fingertips, charbroiling one of the demons casually. He looked around, noting that Prudence was holding her own against the demon who had thrown a fireball towards them. Wyatt shook his head – feeling almost sorry for the guy. Not wanting to deny Prudence her fun, he turned around again to look for another target to charbroil.

The third demon was just in rough a shape as the one fighting Prudence. Chris had taken advantage of the distraction Wyatt and Prudence had provided when they orbed in and managed to escape from behind the bar. He was now throwing one of the demons up in the air with his telekinesis and then letting him slam onto the floor of the club. It was like watching someone try to dribble a flat basketball.

The demon Chris had knocked into the booth when the four shimmered in, forgotten until now, was closing in on Prudence as she fought.

Prudence spun around and landed a roundhouse into the demon's chest when the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She jumped, levitating into the air just as a current of energy from Wyatt's fingertips charred another demon that had been approaching her from behind.

It was time to end this. From up above, Prudence formed an energy ball and threw it at the demon she had been battling, ending their fight and him quite effectively.

Chris had finally knocked the demon he had been dribbling unconscious. He turned to the other two, catching his breath. Wyatt had his arms crossed in front of his bare chest, the flannel pajama bottoms covered in sheep leaping over fences were very amusing. Chris made a mental note to poke fun at the obvious Aunt Phoebe present at a more appropriate time – like when there wasn't a demon on P3's dance floor. "Thanks guys, they came out of nowhere." Chris acknowledged his brother and cousin.

Prudence looked back and forth between her two cousins. "Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on here? I was having the most wonderful dream about Miller and me – "

"Whoa!" Wyatt interrupted, pulling his arms from across his chest and signaling for Prudence to stop. "Too much information about my baby cousin about to be revealed. Not that the pajamas aren't revealing enough already!"

Prudence looked down at her bedtime ensemble comprised of a black, midriff-baring tank top and some black cotton boy shorts. "Oh." She blushed and pulled her arms across her midriff. It was one thing for her cousins – and roommates – to see her in the skimpy outfits she wore clubbing. It was another thing for them to see her in her barest of essentials.

"Here," Wyatt said, conjuring a very long, very shapeless terry cloth robe for her. "Put this on."

"Could we please address the demon in the middle of our dance floor?" Chris interrupted, exasperated with the banter between Wyatt and Prudence.

"Sure," Wyatt stated, a smirk coming to his mouth. "What about the demon on our dance floor?"

Prudence shrugged, "You got me."

"You guys realize that this is the first blatant attack in weeks – no, wait, scratch that. It's the first attack of any sort in months." Chris said.

"Why don't we wake Mr. Demon up and ask him why he's here?" Prudence suggested, now fully wrapped in the cozy terry cloth.

"Good idea cuz." Wyatt said, and orbed a set of crystals to form a cage around the still unconscious demon.

The witches did not know how to wake the demon up, so they waited. Prudence sat on top of the bar examining the manicure she had squeezed in earlier that day. Chris, ever neurotic, paced around the club, while Wyatt sat down at a booth and propped his legs on the table looking very unconcerned. To tell the truth, not much about demondom bothered the Twice-Blessed. He had more powers than he knew about, a sword from the legend books and the fabled Halliwell Book of Shadows in his corner – why would he be concerned about an ugly, vaguely rhinoceros-looking demon on P3's dance floor?

After almost a half-hour of waiting, the demon came to. He tried to fling a fireball at the witches, but the crystal-cage bounced it back to him. He did, at least, have enough common sense to duck.

Chris began the interrogation, "Who sent you?"

The demon did nothing but utter a low growl from the bottom of his throat.

Wyatt stood up, "He just asked you a question – you gonna answer it? Or did you hatch from your egg without any manners?"

Again the demon uttered his low growl in response.

Chris gritted his teeth and asked the question again. "Who sent you?"

This time Prudence flung some powder onto one of the crystals, causing electricity to fill the cage and roll through the demon. The demon's tortured squeals were revolting to the eardrums.

"Who sent you?" Chris was beginning to lose patience.

Prudence flung more powder on one of the crystals before the demon had a chance to respond. The powder produced the same effect as before.

As the second round of squeals died, Chris asked again, his voice deadly quiet, "Who sent you?"

It was the coldness in Chris's voice that made Wyatt's head jerk towards his brother. Chris's eyes had turned dark and narrowed. His jaw was clenched tightly, even his posture was different. Gone were reserved mannerisms and slight slouch in the shoulders that their mother was forever yelling at him for. Across from him was not the brother he knew. This Chris was cold, harsh and confident. This Chris was dangerous.

"Who sent you?" Chris demanded. "If you answer me, I might not feel compelled to vanquish your sorry ass."

"N-n-n-no one."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow at the demon, then at Prudence. She gave him a slight nod confirming his suspicions – the demon was lying.

"If no one sent you, I'd say you would have to be pretty stupid to attack us – don't you know who we are?"

"We were only meant to attack you," the demon replied, pointing at Chris.

Wyatt stepped forward, the big-brother-over-protective-gene surging through him and he fought off, with great difficultly, the desire to rip the demon's larynx out of its throat. "She," he nodded to Prudence, "Is a telepath. So, we can do this the easy way, and have you give us a name. Or, we can do this the hard way."

The hard way involved Prudence ripping the name they needed directly out of the demon's mind. It wasn't a pleasant experience for both parties involved.

The demon looked from one witch to another weighing his options. Did he risk it with the witches or with Him? Deciding he wasn't going to call a possible bluff, he took the easy route. "He sent us."

Voice still detached and cold, Chris asked, "Who's he?"

"He doesn't have a name." The demon replied.

Wyatt scoffed, "Yeah. Sure. Right."

The demon turned and faced Wyatt, affronted that his words were not believed, "He has no name! Why would I lie?"

"Um, 'cause you're a demon?" Prudence offered.

"He has no name!" The demon roared. He threw a fireball at one of the crystals incinerating it, but before Prudence or Wyatt had a chance to react, the demon stopped his advance and began clutching his chest, gasping for air. Prudence looked around for the cause of the demon's sudden halt. The reason was Chris. His fist was clenched tightly, his face set with concentration. Both she and Wyatt could sense the demon's heart as it burst. The three witches watched as the demon burst into flames and left a scorch mark on the dance floor.

Prudence and Wyatt looked at each other, then turned to Chris. Wyatt spoke first, "Uh, Chris? You okay?"

Millions of thoughts and questions whirled through the half-witch, half-whitelighter's head. Why him? Why not Wyatt? Who perceived him as a threat? There was one, however, that kept rising to the surface: this is only the beginning. He shook his head in attempt to quiet the noise. "Yeah, I guess so." Chris looked directly into Wyatt's eyes. And with relief, Wyatt noticed that it was really his brother standing in front of him. He traded a quick glance and shrug with Prudence.

"Whatever. It's late. I'm going to bed." Prudence stated, heading towards the back stairwell that led to their loft.

Wyatt waited until Prudence was in the stairwell before turning to his younger brother. "You all set down here?"

Chris nodded, "Yeah, I had just finished counting the cash in the till."

"Come on then, Squirt. It's late, I'm tired and we're going to have to see this place again in about 5 hours. We've got that delivery coming early."

Wyatt led the way up the back staircase. As they climbed, Chris's eyes fell to the sheep covered pajama bottoms and he remembered his mental note from earlier. "Nice sheep Wy – you count 'em often?" He was able to orb out just before Wyatt's fist connected with his shoulder.

* * *

He had watched from the shadows as they defended themselves against the demons. He watched his son vanquish the evil.

He had a son… The thought kept circling in Leo's mind. It was hard to wrap his brain around the concept – very hard. How could have he forgotten his own son? What else had he forgotten? Did he have other children? A wife? He reached into his pocket for the cameo he always carried and tried to remember.

* * *

_May 15, 2029_

_Dearest,_

_Yesterday was our monthly family day. School was on break yesterday – some teacher conference. Luckily it was only during the first part of the day so Paige and Will could join the rest of us._

_Dad took us (Melly, Chris, Wyatt, Veve, Perry and I) out on his sailboat in the morning. It was terrific weather for sailing; the bay was crammed with boats._

_Will spent the afternoon manning the grill. Wyatt and Perry played several games of one-on-one. Naturally Will burned half of the food on the grill as he coached the two from the sidelines. Paige took care of the drink cooler while Chris and I kept the buffet table heaping with food. Veve and Melly were constantly underfoot, spending all of their time in the kitchen with Chris and me._

_Phoebe and Prudence tried to help, but to be honest, the two of them are just so hopeless when it comes to the kitchen. Chris kicked them out after the strawberry daiquiris they tried to mix ended up on the ceiling. I should have flipped out about my very nice, very clean kitchen being bathed in bright red liquid, but for some reason, I didn't. Perhaps I just enjoyed having the whole family together._

_Well, almost the whole family…_

_Where are you Leo? When will you return to our sons and the daughter you've never met? I have written to you everyday for the past eight years. Perhaps I still have hope that you will return. Or perhaps, without these letters, I know that I will truly be alone. And I'm scared of being alone._

_Love Always, Piper_

* * *

Prudence was already sitting at the kitchen table when Piper came downstairs to start breakfast. Like her namesake she was typically the first one out of bed and there were only two things she enjoyed right away in the morning: coffee and the newspaper. Offer her your company, a bowl of oatmeal or a nice fruit cup and your head would be bitten off – as Piper had learned very quickly.

"Good Morning Prudence," Piper greeted her niece.

"Morning Aunt Piper." Prudence replied. Despite the late-night/early-morning vanquishing session, Prudence had gotten up early and driven to the manor. Saturdays were special days. Piper would make a big breakfast for the family and then Prudence, Phoebe and Veve would go shopping. Today, the aunts were joining them, as well as Melinda. The six of them were on a mission for new shoes and pants for Melinda (the young girl had yet another growth spurt, making her the tallest in her class) and Veve was looking for something to wear to the end of the year dance at Magic School – as was Paige.

"How was your date last night?" Piper asked, "It was Miller, right?" She poured herself a cup of coffee.

Prudence nodded and got up from the table to refill her coffee mug. "Yup, Miller. We had a really nice time. We walked the Pier and had a picnic in Ghirardelli Square at sunset. We ended up at P3. Good manners, not bad in the dancing department and great kisser. He's supposed to be calling me later about going to brunch tomorrow."

"Sounds like a good one," Piper said absent-mindedly as she mixed together the ingredients for popovers.

"I think so, but time will tell – right?" Prudence only half-joked, remembering Trevor, a guy she had dated for over two months last year before discovering he was a warlock. In effort to cheer Prudence up, her mother and the aunts had told her several stories from their dating pasts and Prudence learned that dating someone from "the dark side" was a right of passage for Halliwell women. Aunt Piper had been engaged to a warlock, Aunt Paige had moved in with a guy who couldn't control his own magic, even her mom had fallen in love and married the Source!

Paige orbed into the kitchen, still in her pajamas, directly in front of the coffee pot. Yawning, she grabbed a mug, poured the last of the coffee in it and orbed out before either Prudence or Piper could say anything.

Piper just shrugged, and continued to make the pancake batter. "Prudence, could you make up another pot of coffee? I've got a feeling that Will is going to be waking up shortly and the boys said they would be over for breakfast this morning."

As Prudence moved to refill the coffee pot – coffee was the one kitchen chore she could do well – she began telling Piper about the demons that attacked Chris last night.

"Have you checked the book?" Piper asked when Prudence finished telling her about the attack.

"Not yet, I thought I would wait and do that when Wyatt and Chris got here. But there was something that bothered Wyatt and I more than the attack."

"What?" Piper asked, only half-listening as she kept an eye on the sausages and bacon on the stove, the pancakes on the griddle and the fresh popovers in the oven.

Prudence hesitated for a moment, long enough for the popovers to see their way from the oven to the trivet on the counter in relative safety. "It was Chris, Aunt Piper. He wasn't himself. It was like – like he turned into someone else."

Piper stopped in her tracks, her hands still gripping the popover pan. She debated how to answer, but knew that Prudence would instantly know if she was lying. She decided to tell her the truth. Piper slowly turned around and faced her niece. Prudence's deep blue eyes were nervous as Piper began her explanation. "That's because he was a different man. He was a different Chris."

She took a quick glance at the clock, and realized that she was late in waking up Melly and Veve – Piper hoped they would be quick to get ready this morning. "Prudence, I've got to wake up the girls. We'll never get out of here before noon if I don't get them out of bed now. Will should be here in a minute, I heard the downstairs shower stop a few minutes ago. Can you watch everything until he gets here? And I promise, one day, you'll learn the whole story."

Prudence nodded, a little uncertain, but willing to help.

As Piper bustled out of the kitchen, Will entered from the basement. He looked around, expecting to see his sister-in-law, not his niece, watching over the family's breakfast.

"I'll take it from here Prudence, okay?" Will asked as he moved to the coffeemaker, now done brewing the second pot of the morning.

"Thanks Uncle Will." Prudence said, the relief of breakfast not being in her hands was audible. "How did your classes go this week?" she asked, reclaiming her chair at the kitchen table as well as the morning paper.

Will groaned, "You can tell there's only three more weeks of school left. The natives are getting restless. What about you – how was the art history exam yesterday?"

Prudence pressed her lips together – in truth, she felt as if she had aced it. But she knew the moment she said anything, the grade would be jinxed and when she got her test back on Monday there would be a giant 'D+' on the top of it. "Pretty good," Prudence managed to spit out somewhat nonchalantly.

Will grinned, "Ahhh….not saying anything for fear of a jinx?"

Prudence nodded.

"And the date last night? Paige and Piper told me you've been waiting for this guy to ask you out for awhile."

Will had become a surrogate father to her since losing her own father, Jason. It was Will who had gone to every single one of her swim meets and dance recitals. It was Will who had snapped photo after photo before she left for the prom. It was Will who had built a darkroom in the basement when she began taking photographs. And it was Will who gave her fatherly advice and support when she had a problem with a teacher or needed help on a project.

Prudence smiled and recapped the evening for her uncle. "We cruised the pier, had a sunset picnic, let me pick the toppings for our ice cream sundae and was willing to get out on the dance floor at P3."

Will nodded, "Good – good. Sounds like this guy has some potential." And I'll get the real scoop on this guy from Chris and Wyatt when they show up later. Will thought to himself.

Prudence turned to the fashion section of the paper and was instantly absorbed. Will turned the television on, flipping channels until he found San Francisco's morning news show. As he watched breakfast, Will half-listened to the weather report and sports scores.

_"…disappearances have been reported throughout San Francisco and the metro region. We go now to Dayna Fischer for a live report from City Hall where Police Commissioner Darryl Morris is about to give a press conference…"_

At Darryl's name, both Will and Prudence paid full attention to the television.

The longtime family friend had aged well. Prudence, her nieces and nephews had grown up calling him Uncle Darryl and they were just as close with Aunt Shelia and their two sons, Darryl Jr. and Jacob. Darryl Jr., affectionately known as DJ, had followed in his father's footsteps and had just graduated the police academy. The Halliwells had been present at his graduation. Piper had dropped off several dozen muffins at his precinct his first day, much to the pleasure of all of the men and women working. Jacob was still in school, Prudence's age, and pre-law.

Darryl stepped to the podium and began his prepared speech. "In the past week, the city has witnessed over 20 murders. Each victim has suffered from the same cause of death. SFPD is doing everything in its power to track down this serial killer. But we need the public's help. If you have any information pertaining to these murders, please contact your local SFPD precinct. They will direct you to our special investigation team. Thank you."

Reporters scrambled, trying to get details out of the lifelong cop, but Darryl refused and left the podium quickly, needing to get back to the case.

Dayna Fischer appeared on the television, "As Commissioner Morris just stated there have been 20 murders, all with the same cause of death, reported in the last week. We do not know any details at this time. Two to three police officers from each precinct have been pulled into a special investigation unit. This unit is working round the clock in conjunction with the FBI. We'll return now to Dave and Kim at the studio."

Prudence looked to her Uncle Will. "I have a bad feeling about this one."

Will nodded, "Think you should go have a talk with Darryl?"

Prudence shook her head, "No. I think it would make more sense to visit one of the crime scenes first. No sense in bugging Uncle Darryl if we don't need to – he looks really stressed out. The newspaper had an article about the deaths this morning and listed some of the sites where victims were discovered. Mom should be up by now. I'll have her come with me; one of us should be able to get a premonition."

Phoebe walked into the kitchen just as Prudence was finishing her sentence. "What premonition?" She asked.

Prudence grabbed a travel mug and filled it with coffee. "The premonition that one of us is going to get from a crime scene. Come on, I'll explain on the way. Uncle Will, could you let Aunt Piper know we'll be back by 10:30 for the shopping excursion?" Grabbing a couple of fresh popovers and the newspaper, she worked her mother out of the kitchen and the front door.

Will just shook his head and flipped over the pancakes on the griddle.

* * *

Prudence was driving. Phoebe was waking up with her coffee.

"Why are we going to a crime scene?" Phoebe asked her daughter.

"Over the past week there have been at least 20 murders in the SF area all with the same cause of death – there could be more, but police are still working through all of the tips they've been getting from their hotline. The first murder was eight days ago. A woman in the Haight. The last time she was seen alive she was getting her hair cut at the salon only three blocks from where she was found."

Phoebe frowned and took another sip of coffee. "Cause of death?"

"Police haven't released that information."

"So which crime scene are we visiting?"

"I figured we would get the best psychic hit off of the most recent. It's in the financial district downtown. A vice president of one of the big investment companies was found in a parking garage next to his Lexus."

"Is there a connection between the victims?" Phoebe asked, her mouth stuffed with popover.

"None the police are sharing with the public. The first victim was an assistant at a daycare, another was a known drug dealer, another ran a fruit packing company and the latest guy was a bigwig investment broker. They're all over the board. We're here." Prudence said, turning into one of the many public parking ramps in downtown.

* * *

He watched, unobserved once again, from behind a dumpster as his son helped unload an early morning delivery truck. His son…the concept was still fresh. Each time his mind stumbled upon it, he would lose focus on everything else around him.

Leo had spent the last several hours trying to remember the people and places of his life before…before this. Perhaps there would be something in his son's apartment that would help him. He waited until the truck had cleared out and felt the magic in the air swirl. He knew Chris had orbed. Leo closed his eyes, summoning the magic around him and concentrated. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of a large loft apartment. The apartment his son lived in.

The kitchen was in the corner of the main living area. It was small and ran down one wall that was painted in a dark cobalt blue. There was no kitchen table, just a stainless steel prep table with matching stools, the kind you ordered from a restaurant supply store, acting as a bar. The rest of the space was usurped by deep couches, thick rugs, oversized floor pillows and, of course, an oversized flat screen television. Large posters from movies and music concerts covered the walls.

Leo made his way to the back of the apartment. There were four bedrooms. He closed his eyes for a moment and let the psychic energy flow through him. Eyes still closed, Leo turned to his left and opened the door to Chris's bedroom.

The bedroom wasn't huge, but it certainly wasn't the size of a jail cell. The walls were a creamy pale green. A king size bed was in the middle of the room, and tall bookshelves lined the longest wall in the room. The shelves were crammed with books. In fact, the whole room was crammed with books. They were piled everywhere, on the nightstand, on the desk. Books were even stacked on the floor in front of the bookshelves. Leo sat in a very old, much worn brown recliner and searched the book titles. There were books on every subject. Biographies, mythology and folk lore, textbooks on quantum physics and mathematics, and how to books for fixing everything from electricity to plumbing. Leo reached for one of the books and as he slid it from the shelf, a single picture floated to the floor. Hesitantly, Leo bent over and picked the photo up, turning it over. It was a picture of himself, Chris and a second boy. One with blond hair and green eyes identical to his own. Images pounded through his brain.

* * *

_"Daddy, read me a story." Six-year-old Chris was tucked into bed, arms wrapped around a stuffed hippo._

_"Yeah, Dad. Read us a story." Seven-year-old Wyatt chimed in._

_Leo smiled, "Aren't you two supposed to be asleep?" He had come in to check up on his sons before heading to bed himself. It was late – almost midnight. Leo hadn't expected either boy to be awake._

_"We're not tired. Please Dad, just one story?"_

_Leo turned on the light that sat in between the boy's beds and sat on Chris's bed. "Which story?"_

_Wyatt reached under his bed and pulled out a book he and his brother had been reading together. It was the story of the Sword in the Stone. The story of King Arthur's legendary sword. "This one Dad."_

* * *

_"Wyatt, you were meant to have this." Leo gestured to the sword that had been run through a large stone. His eldest son was sixteen today, old enough to understand the power of Excalibur – old enough to respect it._

_With huge eyes, Wyatt stepped towards the mythical sword in the stone. It had been his favorite story as a kid; he never imagined Excalibur actually existed._

_"We wanted you to have this when you were old enough, when you could understand the responsibilities that correspond with the sword and the title you bear," Leo continued._

_Wyatt blinked rapidly and looked to his father, tearing his gaze away from the sword. "Title?"_

_"We wanted you to be free from the burden of your destiny until you were old enough. That's why we have never told you the story of your birth. Of your destiny. The day you were born, all magic ceased both good and evil. Upon your birth, magic was restored to the world. You, Wyatt, are the Twice-Blessed, the heir to Excalibur and the throne of Camelot."_

_It broke Leo's heart to burden his son with these great responsibilities. But Wyatt wouldn't bear them alone; he would always have Leo and Chris to help him. He could see the confusion in Wyatt's eyes and knew his son had always believed he was just another witch. Maybe some extra special abilities like the ability to orb anywhere in the world, and vanquish demons with lightning that poured out of his fingertips, but still very much the average teenage witch._

_Leo put his arm around Wyatt's shoulders and gave his son a half-hug. "Don't worry Wyatt. I'll always be here to help you – as will your brother." He looked down and saw relief in Wyatt's eyes. "I know this is a lot to handle all at once son, but you must remember that the Elders wouldn't have given you these responsibilities if they didn't think you were capable."_

_Wyatt stared into his father's eyes and nodded._

_"What do you say we find out what that sword can do?" Leo suggested._

* * *

_Chris was sobbing. Leo was in shock. Wyatt reached out and gripped his father's shoulder. "Dad?" Wyatt's eyes were uncomprehending the scene that was playing out in front of him. Leo did not want to understand it either._

_He looked his oldest son in the eye and placed one firm hand on his son's shoulder. "I love you and your brother more than you'll ever know Wyatt. Take care of your brother." His son was too preoccupied to notice Leo grab Excalibur off the floor and in a swirl of blue lights, he left._

* * *

_But why? Why did I leave?_ Leo thought, slowly coming back to the present. He was tired of seeing only fragments of memories, tired of trying to solve a puzzle to which all of the pieces were missing.

He lost track of time as he sat in Chris's room struggling to regain his past. He did not hear Wyatt return to the apartment.

* * *

Wyatt orbed straight to his room from the manor. It was to be only a short stop, long enough for him to grab some scrubby clothes to play basketball in and his painting clothes. Perry wanted to play some basketball and Piper wanted him to finish touching up the walls in the bathrooms. So much for a day of rest, relaxation and naps. As orbs dissipated around him, Wyatt sensed the same familiar presence in the apartment that had been outside P3 the previous night.

The presence was only slightly familiar, reminding him vaguely of someone he had once loved. Probing, Wyatt reached out with his whitelighter senses, straining to discover where in the apartment this mysterious presence was. There was some extra energy coming from Chris's room across the hall.

Wyatt moved across his bedroom soundlessly and opened the door to the hallway. His room was at the opposite end of the hall from Chris's. There was no sign of anyone else in the apartment. It was perfectly quiet. But Wyatt knew someone was there. He crept down the hallway, not wanting to scare the presence off. As he drew closer to Chris's room, he felt a magic radiating from the room. Normally Wyatt could tell if the magic was good or evil, but this presence's magic was murky and grey.

His hand was on the doorknob to Chris's room now, turning it, Wyatt pushed the door forward and entered an empty room. The presence was gone.

* * *

If he had not felt Wyatt's magic in that last possible second, Leo would have been discovered. He was outside now, behind P3 and the row of warehouses it stood next to. He looked at his hands; they were still clutching the picture of him and his sons. He looked once more, up to the second story of the nightclub, his gaze wistful. How could he return to the sons he had abandoned?

* * *

**How's that for an update? Feel free to hit that little purplish-blue button on the bottom left of your screen and let me know what you think! Next chapter will be up really, really soon - I promise. Probably by Friday. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Despite the fact that the newspaper did not give the exact location of where the latest victim was attacked, Prudence and Phoebe discovered it was easy enough to find. It was the only level in the parking garage taped off with yellow police tape. The two were now standing in the middle of an empty car park, above a chalk outline.

Prudence looked to her mother, "Well? What are you waiting for? Let's hurry this up – we've gotta meet everyone back at the manor, in, like," she glanced down at her watch, "45 minutes."

Phoebe gave her impatient daughter a look and knelt above the chalk outline. Gingerly she placed one hand on the chalk, closed her eyes, and braced herself for the psychic onslaught.

* * *

_She was in a cavern, cold and darkness surrounded her. The air was stagnate and left her feeling hopeless. It was a feeling she knew all too well, she was in the Underworld. A man's voice broke the deadness, "Wyatt? Wyatt? Can you hear me? It's daddy. Wyatt? Wyatt? Can you hear me? It's Daddy."_

_Phoebe watched as her innocent nephew orbed into the cavern, his eyes alert and roaming the cavern for his father or demonic threats._

_Gideon stepped out from behind an outcropping of rock. With a wave of his hands 5 crystals orbed around Wyatt, trapping him. "So sorry to lure you like this," Gideon addressed the twice-blessed toddler. "Barbas…where are you? Barbas!"_

_The Demon of Fear appeared next to the rogue Elder and turned to address him, "Took you long enough."_

_The Elder's eyes glinted with the passion of purpose. "Your impatience is growing tiresome." He held the athame out. "I blessed it already. Now it's your turn."_

_Barbas took the athame, fingering the weapon that would remove the twice-blessed abomination from the mortal coil._

_"Is something wrong?" Gideon asked anxiously, ready for his crusade to be over and done with._

_"As a matter of fact – there is." With a swift movement, Barbas stabbed Gideon._

_"Why?" The mad Elder asked eyes wide in disbelief._

_The Demon of Fear's shape changed, morphing into Leo. "Because, you murdered my son." Using the rage he felt over losing Chris, of his mentor's betrayal, Leo sent Gideon across the cavern with a single blow. While the Elder was down, Leo turned to his son – this son he would not fail. His face and voice softened as he addressed Wyatt; "I'll be right back…"_

* * *

_Slowly the Underworld faded around them and she found herself in Wyatt and Chris's old bedroom. The boys were in their beds sleeping. Wyatt had managed to turn himself completely around so his head was at the foot of his bed. Chris was cuddling his ragged hippo and Leo was standing in the doorway watching over them._

_After a few moments, Leo walked to the side of Wyatt's bed and picked the boy up, placing his head back on his pillow. Leo smiled as he caressed his son's cheek. "Take good care of your brother and your mom Wyatt. I'm counting on you." Leo whispered to the sleeping boy. "I love you, son." He bent over and gave his son a kiss on the forehead and rearranged his covers before moving to Chris's bedside._

_Leo sat next to Chris. "I'm sorry that I'm leaving again Chris. You know I don't like to leave you guys, but I made a promise to you Chris – I promised to protect you. I promised to keep you and your mom and Wyatt safe – and no matter what the cost, I am going to keep that promise. I love you, son." Leo bent over and gave Chris a kiss on the forehead before orbing out._

* * *

_He was back in the Underworld. Two demons approached, but passed by without a second thought. Leo had turned himself invisible. He followed the demons to their lair. The two demons he followed joined their friends and began boasting of their latest kill. While still invisible he struck, letting loose a barrage of lightening that vanquished two demons. He moved to the center of the group and lightening poured from his fingertips in a multitude of directions. It was over in a handful of minutes. Leo made himself visible when one demon remained. He had been badly burned, but was still alive. Leo made his way to the whimpering demon's side and completely detached from any emotion, plunged an athame straight into the demon's chest._

* * *

_He arrived in a swirl of blue orbs and was dumbfounded by the massive destruction that had once been the foyer. He was next to his sons and wife. Chris, Wyatt and Piper were on the floor between the hall closet and staircase, Leo could see Phoebe lying facedown on the stairs. All four of them where somehow protected by Wyatt's shield._

_With a scream of fury, he let loose his rage. There was no thought, only instinct as he flung himself into the middle of the demon mass. He lunged and blocked, punched and rammed. His rage and desperation fueled his body and his powers. He felt his fingertips crackling as the destructive energy poured forth from them. Somehow the lightning bolts transformed into a single, pure white energy beam. Leo, awestruck, moved his hands together and watched as the beam broke through the center of his hands and refracted into a multitude of directions. The beam cut through demon after demon, obliterating them before the scream could form in their throats. _

* * *

_Slumped against a large rock, sat a lone figure. Phoebe barely recognized her brother-in-law. All traces of the light-hearted and compassionate whitelighter were gone and it was obvious that his mouth no longer knew how to smile._

_Phoebe watched Leo pull something from his pocket and turn it over, absent-mindedly caressing the piece as his gaze stared into nothing. She peered over his shoulder to get a better look. It was the cameo he had given Piper years ago. Phoebe remembered sadly that Piper had been wearing it the day of the demon attack, the day they had lost Leo._

_He stood, sighing and placed the cameo back in his pocket. Leo let his eyes sweep across the battlefield, the remnants of demons and warlocks and satisfied, disappeared._

* * *

_It was downtown San Francisco, present day, and Leo was walking the streets, searching for evil because it was all he knew. Figuring him for homeless, no one paid him attention. He walked for several blocks, sensing. A woman stepped out of a hair salon. Her coppery hair cut and styled to perfection. Leo narrowed his eyes. This woman was evil. He didn't care what she did. Her soul was black – he knew she was a demon._

_If he exposed himself and his magic, vanquishing the evil on a crowded street, all of his fighting would have been for nothing. And so Leo followed the woman/demon and waited for an opportunity to vanquish her. His opportunity arrived 5 blocks later, behind an out-of-business restaurant. Without a word, he lifted his hand and the white beam shot forth from his palm and burned a hole in the woman's heart._

* * *

Phoebe slammed back into reality. Not wanting to believe what her premonitions had revealed to her. She knelt there, on the cement of the car park, one hand still resting on the chalk outline, gasping for breath.

"Mom? Are you alright?" Prudence knelt down beside Phoebe and placed a hand on her shoulder. Prudence was anxious for her mother. Yes, premonitions did take a lot out of a person, but they normally did not leave you pale-faced, gasping for air and shaking.

Phoebe looked at her daughter, not truly seeing her but replaying the images that had overloaded her mind.

"Mom?" Prudence's voice cracked, giving away how truly worried she was. "Hey, mom – snap out of it!" Prudence snapped her fingers in front of Phoebe's eyes. That did the trick.

Phoebe bolted to her feet and headed for the stairwell. They hadn't been able to enter this level, so instead had parked on the next one up. They needed to get home. They needed to tell Piper.

Prudence, taken aback by her mother's sudden actions, had to do a gallop-step to catch up. "What's wrong Mom?" Prudence asked, a bit annoyed at the lack of communication at the current moment.

Phoebe turned, one hand on the door to the stairwell. "We need to get home Prudence – right away." Phoebe put her hand up and stopped the young woman from interrupting her. "Everyone is fine – they are not about to be attacked." Phoebe said, anticipating her daughter's questions. She continued, "Your Uncle Leo has returned."

* * *

After he vanquished another demon, Leo disappeared, fading into the shadows of the closed restaurant only to reappear in the shadows of another alley on the opposite side of the city then he was a moment ago.

Leo moved out of the shadows and into the sunlight. The air was ripe with the stench of evil. Across the alley from him was an old office building that was undergoing renovation. The evil was coming from inside the building. Concentrating, Leo faded into the shadows once more, only to reappear inside the building.

Apparently the building was being renovated into a gym. Leo stood in the middle of the weight lifting equipment. He stretched out with his senses, feeling for where the evil was. It was not far away. Turning to his left, he saw the demons. There were three of them, all possessing the appearance of mortals. But Leo knew better. Two of them held guns. All three of them were standing above a body.

Making barely a sound, Leo moved closer to the demons, preparing himself for the fight. He burned a hole through the first one's heart before the demon had a chance to scream. The other two whipped around, guns raised, and began shooting. Leo turned invisible and allowed the bullets to pass through him.

He grabbed one of the guns with his right hand and pulled it away from the demon while landing a powerful kick in the other's stomach, sending the demon at least ten feet across the room. It landed on top of the rack of free weights. A strangled noise escaped the throat of the demon he had unarmed as Leo made himself visible once more.

The demon hesitated for a moment and then launched himself at Leo, swinging and throwing fists in desperation to connect with something. Leo, however, was too quick. It was too easy to duck and block the demon once the desperation set in.

The second and third demons suffered the same fate as their friend. Leo stood for a moment, regaining his breath. He took no pleasure in the kill, but satisfaction that another evil had been destroyed. A groan of pain interrupted the stillness of the night. Leo glanced to his left, certain that that he had vanquished all of the demons. And then he remembered the demons had been standing over a body.

Leo walked over to the body lying on the floor. The human was not dead, but he almost was. The three demons must have been beating the young man who was bruised, bloodied and fading fast.

Leo could feel the goodness of this man's soul, and knew it was not his time, that destiny had bigger plans for him. He knew what he had to do – but honestly didn't think he was capable of healing anyone anymore. It has been so long since he had – hadn't it? Kneeling by the fallen man, Leo took a breath and gathered his strength. He held his shaking hands out, willing them to restore health to the young man.

But the healing glow would not come. Several minutes passed and the young man's breathing became more labored. Leo grew desperate and thrust his hands over the young man's body once more. But he was unable to heal. Perhaps it was because he had evolved into something beyond an Elder after all of those years in the Underworld. He no longer had the ability to orb; fading was how he traveled now. Did he no longer have the ability to heal either? Or had he just forgotten the trigger?

"NO!" Leo cried, throwing his arms to the sky. He remembered the son Gideon had taken from him, the pain and the guilt that followed. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM! His father will NOT lose his son! He will burden the guilt of failure! He will not sacrifice his family to evil!" And Leo remembered what it was to love. The golden healing energy poured from his fingertips and he placed his hands above the young man, praying there was still time to save him.

* * *

"What happened? How do you feel?"

The young police officer gingerly placed his fingers to his forehead. He was ready to wince in pain, but to his surprise, there was none. There was no blood either. He looked at the EMT and shrugged his shoulders "I'm not really sure, but okay I guess."

The deserted gym was now brightly lit as police officers worked. The police commissioner himself walked into the latest crime scene. Darryl was barking out orders to the medical examiners and forensics teams as he cleared a path to their only witness.

Darryl shooed the EMT away. "What in the hell happened here DJ?"

"How the hell should I know, Dad? One minute I was following three thugs into a building, the next thing I know they're beating me up."

"Did you see anyone else but the three guys you were following?" Darryl demanded. He thought it ironic that the first witness to the most recent deaths in this string of serial killings was his son.

DJ shook his head, "Sorry Dad – I don't remember. All I know is I was lying there," he pointed to a spot less than six feet away, "bleeding to death after being pistol whipped and now I'm here, in one piece – a little sore, but considering I should be dead, I'm not really minding the muscle aches. I almost feel like I was –" he looked around and pulled his dad off to a corner before continuing in a lowered voice, "It's almost like Wyatt healed me. Remember when he and I were seven and we were riding our bikes? I feel off and broke my arm. Wyatt healed it. I was sore for a little bit, but felt as good as new. That's exactly how I feel right now."

Darryl nodded, if magic was somehow involved, this case was starting to make a whole lot more sense.

"And Dad – there's something else." DJ said with a reserved sigh.

Darryl nodded, "What is it?"

DJ leaned very close to his father's ear, making sure that no one would be able to hear his next words. "I swear, when I opened my eyes, I saw Uncle Leo orbing away."

Darryl sighed with the realization that it was not by accident that his son had been the serial killer's first witness. It was the universe's perverse sense of humor. Darryl took his son by the shoulder and started to the exit. "Come on son – we need to go pay a visit to the Halliwells."

* * *

Wyatt and Perry were playing one-on-one in the driveway when Phoebe and Prudence returned.

Climbing out of her car, Prudence called out, "What's the score?"

Wyatt, who was in possession of the ball at this point, yelled back, "30-26!" And then turned his attention back to the game. Shaking their heads, Phoebe and Prudence continued to the manor.

Chris was just inside the door, trying to fix the lighting in the living room. He and Wyatt could fix or build just about anything, much like their father. It was a trait that Piper and the rest of the family took advantage of quite a bit as it seemed there was always something breaking down, needing another coat of paint or a re-wire job.

"Hey Aunt Pheebs, Denny – where have you guys been? Mom's been threatening to blow you guys up if you didn't get back in time to leave with the whole crew for today's shopping excursion." Chris remarked from the top of his ladder.

Phoebe looked up at her nephew, "Speaking of, where is your mom?"

Chris thought for a moment, "Last I knew she was in the kitchen dividing her time between laundry, the breakfast dishes, finger-painting with Melly and helping Veve figure out fractions."

Phoebe shook her head; Piper's multi-tasking ability put them all to shame. "And Paige?"

Again Chris took a moment to think before responding. "I believe she and Uncle Will are downstairs having a 'discussion' about Perry's latest prank – you might not want to go down there right now."

Phoebe nodded, "Thanks for the heads up. Prudence, why don't you keep Chris company for a couple of minutes, I'm going to go round everyone up."

Prudence shrugged off her jacket and sat down in an over-sized chair. "Sure thing," She replied as Phoebe bustled off in the direction of the kitchen.

Chris was looking up into the light fixture that hung from the ceiling. He held a flashlight in his mouth and was prodding something with a screwdriver. Normally Prudence would have offered to help, but today she just sat in her chair, lost in a stupor as she thought about her Uncle Leo's return. On their way home, Phoebe and Prudence discussed what their next actions should be. Both had decided that Paige, Piper and Will should be told about Leo's return first. After that, it was up to Piper to inform her sons and daughter of their father's return. Prudence didn't realize, however, that it would be this hard not to say anything to Chris.

"Hey, Denny – could you give me a hand for a sec. If you're not too busy that is." Chris said.

Prudence looked up at Chris; "Do you miss your dad?" She asked.

Chris gave her a double take, "Whoa – where did that come from?"

Prudence just gave her cousin a look, "Come on Chris – seriously – do you miss your dad?"

Chris's smile slowly faded and his gaze grew distant as he remembered old memories. "Yeah, I do."

"Are you mad that he left?" Prudence pressed.

After a moment, Chris shook his head. "No. Well, I mean, at first I was furious with him. I thought he had abandoned us for no good reason. I didn't understand, you know? But as I got older, I realized that Excalibur corrupted him. He had every intention of returning to us, but he made the mistake of taking Excalibur and using it. I wish my Dad had been around for more of my life. I wish he had seen me and Wyatt graduate high school and college. I wish he had been at Melinda's birth. But most of all, I wish that one day he'll return and our family will be complete again." Chris turned his gaze back to Prudence, "Why are you asking me about this?"

Prudence shrugged her shoulders, "Curious, you know? Anyways – what did you want me to help you with?"

Chris motioned for Prudence to levitate up to his level. "I need you to hold this," Chris ordered, handing her a flashlight. "And make sure that the light is hitting that part – yup, that part right there. Okay, now hand me that red piece of wire, would you?

As Prudence brushed Chris's hand, she was thrown into a premonition.

_Chris was young, probably fourteen or fifteen. He was on his way home from the library and only half-paying attention to the route. Most of his attention was focused on the physics book his nose was currently buried in. It was no secret the youngest of the Halliwell boys was not only a science nerd, but also a bookworm._

_Chris made his way down another two blocks and then turned right onto Prescott Street. As soon as he turned onto his street, Chris could tell that something wasn't right at home. Unable to orb without possible exposure, Chris sprinted the half block to the manor._

_"Mom? Aunt Paige? Aunt Phoebe?" Chris called out; he slid out of his backpack's straps and began to frantically search the house. His first stop was the conservatory – both of his aunts were there. Sliding to his knees, Chris checked one, then the other. There was no sign of life from either. "Mom? Dad?" Chris called out once more, scrambling to his feet and racing to the kitchen. His mother was there, as was Wyatt. He was holding an athame to her throat. Tears were streaming down Piper's face. She was alive, and at the moment, unharmed._

_"Wyatt?" Chris stopped short as the blood in his veins turned ice cold with fear._

_"Hey Chrissy – we've been waiting for you." Wyatt said, his voice low and menacing._

_"What are you doing Wy?" Chris asked, praying his eyes were deceiving him. "What happened to the aunts?"_

_"I'm proving a theory baby brother."_

_"What's the theory?"_

_"Power." Wyatt replied nonchalantly. "See, I believe I am stronger than the famed Charmed Ones."_

_At that moment, two demons shimmered in and grabbed Chris's arms in attempt to restrain him. Using his telekinesis to throw one of the demons off, he quickly landed two kicks – one to the abdomen and another to the throat of the second demon. Pulling the athame out of Wyatt's hand with his telekinesis, he sent it sailing into the first demon's neck and blew up the other._

_Distracted, Wyatt had loosened his grip on Piper's chin and she was able to finally speak. "Go on Chris – run – orb out of here! Achhh –" Wyatt tightened his grip on her neck and once again, breath was at a premium._

_"Nice moves Chrissy – too bad Aunt Phoebe isn't here to see her nephew use his training with such effectiveness," Wyatt sneered._

_"Why are you doing this Wyatt? What's happened to you? Is it a spell? Are you possessed? Let me help you!"_

_" 'Let me help you,' " Wyatt mocked Chris's last words in a high-pitched voice._

_"Please Wyatt, don't do this."_

_Wyatt didn't respond. Instead, he pulled Excalibur out and ran the blade through Piper's stomach._

_"MOM!" Chris cried out, stunned at his brother's brutality._

_As their mother gasped with pain, Wyatt twisted the sword and pulled it out of her. Piper fell to the floor. "Bye Chrissy. I'll see you around." Wyatt said with a sneer, and disappeared from the kitchen in flames._

_"DAD! DAD!" Chris called furiously for his father, the only being with the power to heal her wounds. "DAD! DAD!"_

_"Shhh…Chris." Piper's voice was weak and strained._

_Tears silently streamed down Chris's face as he knelt next to his mother. "Mom?" He reached for her hand._

_"It's my time, Chris. You can't fight this." Piper said, her breathing becoming more and more irregular._

_"No, Mom! You can't leave me!" Chris pleaded with his mother, "Come on now Mom – you gotta be strong. Dad's going to come and heal you. Just hold on Mom, a little longer." Chris turned his voice to the sky, "DAD! Come on Dad! Mom needs you! DAD!"_

_Piper squeezed her son's hand bringing his attention back to her. "Save your strength to save our family Chris. I believe in you."_

_"What do you mean Mom? What am I supposed to do?"_

_"Promise me Chris – promise me."_

_Through his tears Chris promised his mother. "I promise Mom – I promise I'll make this all better. I promise to save you Mom. I promise I'll save Wyatt too."_

_"I love you peanut…"_

The vision disappeared as quickly as it had overtaken her, pulling her into the darkness of what might have been.

"Denny? Hey, Denny!" Chris snapped his fingers in front of his cousin's face. Suddenly, the young woman began to fall. "Whoa!" Chris exclaimed and caught her using his telekinesis about 3 inches above the coffee table she would have broken. Cautiously, Chris lowered Prudence into the oversized chair she had originally made herself comfortable on.

Chris hurried down off the ladder and sat on the edge of the coffee table, "Denny? Can you hear me? Denny?"

The young witch lay in the chair, unmoving. There was no reply.

* * *

"Piper?" Phoebe called out as she rounded the entrance into the kitchen from the dining room. She found her sister folding clothes on the kitchen island; Veve and Melly were doing homework and finger painting, respectively, at the kitchen table.

Piper pulled her head up and smiled at her younger sister, "Hey! You're back! Where did you go? Are you ready to get shopping? Girls – start cleaning up. We're leaving."

Phoebe smiled, "Uh Pipe? Slow down a sec, okay?" Phoebe then turned and addressed her nieces, "Why don't you guys take that stuff upstairs and get your jackets. Veve, can you help Melly wash up, too?"

Both girls nodded, already gathering their things together. When they had exited the kitchen, Melly leaving behind several works of art to be placed on the refrigerator, Phoebe went to the top of the stairs. "Paige! Will! Can I see you guys for a sec?"

Piper half-frowned at Phoebe as she folded another bed sheet. "What's going on Pheebs?"

Phoebe looked at her sister, apprehensive. "You might want to have a seat," Phoebe suggested.

"Huh? What do you mean? Come on Phoebe – could you just tell me what's going on? Is something wrong with one of the boys? Are you engaged? Does this have anything to do with the demon attack on Chris at P3 last night?"

"What demon attack at P3?" Phoebe asked, knowing how to distract her older sister. While Piper began to fill her in, Phoebe guided her to a chair at the table.

"Oh, four really ugly demons – I guess they're called Gamarens, Wyatt looked them up – attacked Chris at P3…Wait a second – I'm not falling for that," Piper said, catching onto Phoebe's plan. "You spill, then me."

Paige and Will filed their way into the kitchen from the basement. Paige had a clutch purse and jacket stuffed under her arm. "Well, are the girls all set to go?" Paige asked.

Phoebe shook her head no and motioned for her brother-in-law and sister to take two of the available seats around the kitchen table.

"This doesn't have anything to do with what you and Prudence checked out this morning?" Will asked, "Does it?"

Phoebe nodded and took a deep breath. "This morning, Will and Prudence saw a live press conference about the recent slayings in San Francisco and the surrounding area. Each person is found with a single hole burned through their chest where their heart should be. The total number of victims is 20 and counting. Prudence and I went to go investigate where the most recently reported victim was killed." Phoebe took another deep breath and then sat down next to Piper and folded her hands around her sister's. "Piper – Leo has come back from the Underworld. He's responsible for these deaths. Excalibur corrupted him – he's forgotten who he is. He's forgotten us."

Before Piper had a chance to process or respond to Phoebe's revelation, Chris burst into the kitchen. "Guys! Come quick! Something's wrong with Prudence!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The memory over powered him as he was crossing through the planes of space.

_The pain was beginning to overwhelm his entire body. "When I die…" He murmured._

_"You're not going to die." She said, it didn't matter how close death was, she would fight to his last breath. She would not lose him._

_"When it happens," he continued, disregarding her protests, "this is where I want to be. I love you." And then he felt nothing._

_Tears fell from her eyes and her sobs turned into hiccups. She had failed – he was lost to her. She sobbed into the blanket the covered his lifeless form. "Please Leo – you can't leave me. I love you…" Suddenly her hand began to glow and Piper realized she had found the trigger to Leo's power – love._

_Excited, she brought her hand and the healing energy to rest above his shoulder wound. "I found it. Leo, I love you. Can you hear me? I love you, Leo, please hear me."_

_All of the pain was suddenly gone. He opened his eyes and she was there, in front of him. "Piper," he breathed, pulling her small body to his._

_"Oh, thank God. I tried so hard and I couldn't make it work before. Why didn't you tell me?" Piper said, her voice and body infused with the energy of new love._

_"That love was the trigger? You had to find that out on your own. Why couldn't you tell me?" Leo responded, still clutching Piper tightly to him._

_She pulled away slightly. "I don't know," Piper replied, "I was afraid. I was afraid if I admitted how I really felt it would hurt more if I lost you. I'm so sorry, I should have said it before."_

_Leo smiled and pulled her to him for another kiss, "It's better late than never…"_

That woman, he thought, her eyes…those same cinnamon eyes that have haunted and judged me for so long. Piper…her name is Piper…

He had lost track of where he was going when the memory hit him and he fell out of his fade abruptly. Disoriented from the memory, he attempted to regain his bearings, and found himself in the same attic as his memory. There were boxes labeled with names he didn't recognize, pieces of furniture that were unfamiliar, but it was mostly the same. He wandered through the room hoping to trigger more memories of her.

"Daddy?" A small voice behind him asked. Leo turned around to face the voice.

A small girl, maybe seven years old stood in front of him. She had long brown hair and her vibrant green eyes were the color of emeralds. She was wearing brown corduroys and a sweatshirt with sea lions on it – Chris had bought it for her when they had visited SeaWorld with Wyatt and their mom a few weeks ago.

Melly took another step forward into the attic. Normally she wasn't allowed to be in the attic by herself and she followed her mom's rules. But she had sensed something in the attic, something familiar – and technically, she wasn't alone in the attic, her daddy was with her. "Daddy?"

Leo stared at this girl in disbelief. Who was she? Involuntarily, he took a step back.

Melly took two more steps forward. Now her daddy had stepped back into the sunlight that was coming through the windows, she was sure it was he. He didn't look like the picture on her nightstand, but his eyes were the same as hers. "Daddy, where have you been? Mommy said they sent you to fight demons. Are you done fighting the demons?"

He couldn't speak – couldn't move. Daddy? Mommy? He thought to himself. He had remembered Wyatt and Chris and was slowly beginning to remember Piper – but this little girl was a puzzle to him. She continued to stare at him, head slightly tilted to the side, her emerald eyes staring right through to his soul. Just like Piper's.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It was just all so mystifying. There was too much grey – not enough black and white. Finally, he found his voice. "Sorry, but I'm not your daddy." Leo turned and faded from the room, leaving the little girl heartbroken and confused.

* * *

Frightened for her daughter's welfare, Phoebe had been the first to race out of the kitchen and follow Chris to the living room. Paige and Will were not too far behind. Piper remained in her seat, unable to move.

After so many years of living with his absence, the thought of him returning was overwhelming. It was in that moment that Piper realized she had lost hope of Leo ever returning. She felt guilty – as if she had betrayed him somehow.

Chris poked his head into the kitchen, "Mom? You okay?"

Piper blinked rapidly a few times before smiling at her son. He was so much like his father. He needed to know that. She vowed, then and there, she would find him. She would help him remember – himself and his family. And he would return to his family. "Yeah, Chris – I'm okay." She said, getting up from the table, "I'm coming."

The two joined the rest of the family who had now gathered around Prudence in the living room. Phoebe was sitting next to her daughter clutching her hand while Wyatt attempted to heal his cousin. After a minute, Wyatt pulled his hands away and the golden glow faded. "I'm sorry Aunt Phoebe…" he mumbled, stepping aside.

"Why isn't it working?" Phoebe cried.

Paige lightly placed her hands on her sister's shoulders, "Phoebe – you need to calm down. Not just for Prudence, but for you."

Phoebe whirled around to face her sister, "Easy for you to say! It's not your daughter lying here unconscious!" She snapped.

"Whoa!" Piper stepped in at that point. "Simmer down. Phoebe, we all know you're upset and we all know you're worried about Prudence – we all are. She's not just a niece or a cousin – she's a daughter and a sister. Getting angry and snapping at us is not going to help your daughter." Phoebe cast her eyes down to the carpet, the glare dying as she realized the truth behind Piper's words. "Now," Piper continued, "Would someone like to tell me what's going on?"

"Prudence was helping me." Chris stated, "She was levitating, holding the flashlight for me. When she handed me a screwdriver, she was thrown into a premonition. Then she started falling. I caught her before she landed on the coffee table and guided her to where she is now."

Piper nodded, "Okay – who's going to check the Book of Shadows?"

Wyatt raised his hand, "I will, Mom."

The doorbell rang as Wyatt was headed upstairs, Piper waved him on as he stopped and started to turn around to answer the door. "Go on, Wyatt – I'll get it."

Piper opened the door to reveal Darryl and his son DJ. She sighed and looked upward, "Just once I would like to be able to deal with one crisis at a time."

* * *

Prudence watched from the shadows, an unseen observer to events that had been prevented from transpiring.

_Three years had passed and Chris was 18. It was the anniversary of their deaths. Phoebe, Paige and Piper were gone – the Charmed Ones were dead. Their blood stained his brother's hands. Chris buried his mother and aunts next to Grams, Grandma Patty, and Aunt Prue. It was what they would have wanted._

_He stood at their graves; two white roses had already been placed on top of Paige and Phoebe's markers. The red rose meant for his mother's was still in his hand. "I won't lie to you mom – things aren't that great down here." Chris said to his mother's grave. "Wyatt's exposed magic now – demons are running rampant – we're losing the war. But we still have hope – thanks to you and the aunts." Chris paused for a few moments and silently brushed a tear away from his cheek. When he spoke again, his voice was clear and strong. "I haven't forgotten my promise mom. I've protected our family: Prudence, Perry, Veve and Melly – Will and Grandpa too. But I don't know what to do mom – I don't know how to save them."_

_Chris stood at the foot of his mother's grave for several moments, silent. At last he placed the red rose ever so gently on her grave and turned away to orb home…_

_Home wasn't as he had left it._

_His grandfather's house were they had all been living was now a smoldering pile of ruins. For a moment, Chris stood dumbly in what had been the living room, not wanting to believe the sight in front of him._

_"Hey Chrissy."_

_Chris clenched his hands into fists and looked up to match his brother's stare. "Wyatt."_

_"Where have you been Chrissy? At mommy's grave?"_

_"What did you do Wyatt?" It was straight out of his Aunt Paige's book. When a demon asks you a question, you respond with a question of your own. Not that he wanted to think of his brother as a demon, but Wyatt's actions didn't give him much of a choice._

_"What does it look like Chrissy?"_

_Chris knew the rest of his family was here, beneath the ruins that he was ankle-deep in. He did not bother to ask why – he knew the question was futile, the answer was always the same: to prove he was the ultimate power._

_"What do you want Wyatt?" Chris asked, defeated._

_Wyatt twisted his mouth into a cruel smile. "You'll see."_

* * *

Wyatt took the stairs to the attic two at a time – the Book had to have something that would help Prudence. Wyatt opened the family's most treasured possession and flipped through the pages, again wishing for an index or table of contents. Unfortunately both were impossible, as the book liked to alter itself on occasion. He paused on a page, skimming over a few paragraphs on astral projections. Nothing. It was difficult to search the Book for a remedy when no one even knew what Prudence was suffering from. Wyatt stopped reading and unfocused his gaze, reflecting on Prudence's situation.

Wyatt hadn't gotten far in his thoughts when he heard quiet crying.

Frowning, Wyatt moved away from the Book and got down on his hands and knees. There were tons of good hiding places in the attic – he knew first hand from years of playing hide and seek – but the first place Melly always went was underneath the sofa. "Melly?" She wasn't under the sofa.

Crying was his response.

"Come on Melly." Wyatt gently prodded, checking the child-sized space that was built into the wall of boxes against the far wall in the attic.

More crying was his response.

Wyatt sighed; he really didn't feel like playing hide and seek right now. He wanted to find Melly, dry her tears and then work on a remedy for his cousin. And he was on a deadline – he had to be at P3 by 7 p.m. to get the club ready to open. Wyatt waved his hand and Melly orbed onto the couch. She was still crying softly, but the tears had mostly been reduced to sniffles. Wyatt sat down next to his little sister and started wiping her cheeks dry. "What's wrong, Melly-Belly?" Wyatt asked, using the nickname that never failed to bring a smile to his baby sister's face.

Melanie managed a weak smile, mostly for her brother.

"Who do I need to beat up for you this time?" Wyatt asked. It had been a long-standing joke between he, his siblings and cousins – somebody wrongs you, you talk to Wyatt, he'll take care of them.

Melanie just looked down at the ground, "No one," she mumbled.

Wyatt frowned, "Melly – did you do something wrong? You can tell me what happened. I promise I won't get upset or yell or anything."

Melanie looked up at her big brother with watery green eyes. "I didn't do anything. Daddy did."

"What do you mean, 'Daddy did?'"

Melanie sniffed again then began. "Daddy was here. I asked him if he was done fighting the demons. And he told me he wasn't my Daddy. Why did he say that Wyatt?" Fresh tears began rolling down Melanie's face.

Wyatt pulled Melanie into his lap and held her close to him, his mind racing. Their Dad? Here? Perhaps he had been the familiar presence Wyatt had felt earlier that morning in the apartment. "Dad must have been confused Melly. You know he loves you, right?"

Melanie nodded. She knew her Daddy loved her. Wyatt was right – Daddy had been confused, he had certainly looked really weird.

"Okay then – let's dry those tears. You want to help me look through the Book?" Wyatt asked.

Melanie's eyes lit up and she gave Wyatt her best smile. She wasn't allowed to look in the Book very often – mostly because it was a grown up thing. Her mom had read the history of their family to her from the Book all the time. She knew all about Melinda Warren (who she was named after) and her Aunt Prue – she even had gotten a chance to meet her once when she was really little – like, five. For the time being, the only active powers Melinda had were whitelighter powers. Her brothers played orb and seek with her and Veve so they could "develop and improve their orbing and sensing skills" as Aunt Paige said. Piper was nervous – Wyatt had control of his powers from the womb, and Chris had come into his active witch powers when he was two. At seven, Melinda had still not come into her powers. Piper had asked Paul, the children's whitelighter if it was unusual – but since Paige had been the only half witch-half whitelighter before this generation, and the Elders had not known of her existence during her formative years, they had no idea what was normal.

Noting Melanie's sudden mood change, Wyatt motioned and the book leapt off of the podium and flew across the room to the couch, landing next to both of them. "Okay, let's see if we can find something to help Prudence."

* * *

_It wasn't the first time Chris had killed for his brother. He shuddered to think that it wasn't the last. But it was easier to do Wyatt's bidding rather than challenge him. And challenging Wyatt was certain death. It's not that he was afraid to die – on the contrary, he welcomed Death. He had heard from his mom and aunts that Death wasn't a bad entity – but he did have a dry, very perverse sense of humor._

_But he had so much yet to do. He had a promise to fulfill._

_His only hope was to be patient. He had already been biding his time with Wyatt for three years. Ever since his brother had murdered the last of their family. There was one left besides him. But Chris hadn't seen his father for months. Whitelighters were in short supply and what small numbers still existed were overextended assisting witches in their war against Wyatt and his demons._

_Leo had blamed himself for Wyatt's betrayal and the deaths of Piper and her sisters. Chris blamed him as well. He had begged his mother to hold on – he had yelled his for his father until his voice was hoarse. But still Leo did not come. It was in the early morning hours when Leo had finally orbed to the manor, too late to save anyone. Leo never told Chris where he was. He never told Chris that he could hear his every call and cry from the cage Wyatt imprisoned him in. He never told Chris that he had lived the agony of Piper's last breaths._

_It was Leo that came to the aid of the witch Chris had been sent to kill._

_The whitelighter orbed in next to his charge and sighed – it was the second charge he had lost this week._

_"Hey Leo," a soft voice came from the shadows to his left._

_Warily, Leo eyed the shadows. "Hello Chris."_

_His son stepped into the light. "What's new?"_

_"Are you responsible for her death Chris?" Leo motioned to the dead witch on the ground by his feet._

_Chris dropped his gaze to the ground. "I'm not the only one responsible for a death." He said, his voice a good imitation of a petulant child._

_Leo sighed, running his fingers through the hair he had allowed to grow long and unkempt, Leo took a breath and began. "Chris – I want you to know the truth of what happened all of those years ago."_

_"Don't you think it's too late for excuses?" Chris sneered._

_"It's never too late for the truth."_

_Chris glared at his father. "The truth is you never heard my calls. You were too busy saving the world. You forgot about your family!"_

_Leo met his son's glare unflinching; "Our family was the most important thing in my life Chris. I tried to go to you. But I couldn't – Wyatt had me imprisoned in a cage I could not orb out of. I heard your calls Chris. I felt your pain. I felt your mother's – I came as soon as I was freed by Wyatt's demons. But I was too late."_

_"Why am I supposed to believe you now?" Chris asked, his voice bitter as the memories from six years ago flashed before him._

_"You don't Chrissy." Wyatt stepped out of the shadows. A light smirk danced across his mouth. "Hello Father."_

_"Wyatt." Leo said, his voice tense._

_Wyatt circled his father and the dead witch. "What lies have you been filling my little brother's head with?"_

_"I haven't told Chris any lies, Wyatt. I've only said the truth. You know that."_

_"Or so you say." Wyatt spun on one foot to face Chris. "What do you think Chrissy?"_

_"He's got nothing to lose Wyatt – why would he lie?"_

_Another smirk came to Wyatt's lips. It was clear to his audience that he was enjoying this confrontation a bit too much. "But he does have something to lose, my dear brother. You."_

_Chris's eyes narrowed and looked to his father. "He already lost me." He said, making his voice cold and emotionless._

_Wyatt smirked and conjured a darklighter's bow and arrow. "Prove it then."_

_Chris's eyes widened and he took a step back. "No."_

_Wyatt frowned, "What was that Chrissy?"_

_"I won't do it Wyatt."_

_Leo looked back and forth between his sons. He knew he would be joining Piper and their daughter soon. The only question left was which one of his sons would help him join them._

_Wyatt threw his brother against a wall. The impact knocked Chris unconscious. Leo resisted the urge to run to Chris's side as Wyatt turned on him._

_"Look - look what you made me do!" The twice-damned raged to Leo. Bringing the crossbow up, Wyatt pulled the trigger before disappearing in flames._

_The darklighter's arrow pierced Leo's chest and the whitelighter fell to the ground with a grunt. He could already feel the poison spreading through his body. Crawling, Leo closed the distance between himself and Chris. His son was still unconscious. Using the last of his strength, Leo placed his hand above Chris's head and began to heal his son._

_Chris woke to find his father next to him, his breathing shallow and labored. Chris saw the arrow protruding from Leo's chest and knew Wyatt had shot him._

_God, he hated Leo. But he was still his father. No matter what had happened in the past, Chris still loved him. And now…now he was dying. Chris would not abandon him. "Dad?"_

_Leo tried to smile, "Chris…"_

_"Hold on – we're going to get this thing out of you." Using telekinesis, Chris pushed the arrow through Leo's chest. The whitelighter screamed as the arrow tore through flesh. "We're gonna get you better Dad – you gotta hang on okay? Just hang on okay?"_

_Leo coughed, "Keep fighting…"_

_Chris nodded, blinking back his tears. "I will. I will…Come on; you gotta hang on – okay? You're gonna be alright – I promise, I'm gonna save you…"_

_Leo grabbed his son's hand and squeezed it gently. "I love you son…" Suddenly his face broke into a smile and a vibrant green that had long been missing returned to his eyes, "Piper…" he murmured._

_"Say hi to her for me." Chris whispered, wishing he too could be with his family._

_The rain came. He sat motionless, holding his father's body. An orphan._

* * *

"It's good to see you too Piper." Darryl deadpanned from the front step.

Piper shook her head and motioned for the two men to come in. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean it like that. Come on in – everyone's here."

The two men followed her into the living room. Darryl surveyed the room, "Whoa – you weren't kidding when you said everyone was here, Piper. What's going on?"

"We think Prudence is lost in a premonition." Paige said, coming forward to give each man a hug. "We're trying to figure out how to bring her out of it."

"Is she going to be okay?" Darryl asked, his face filled with concern.

Phoebe turned to the family friend; her large brown eyes filled with unshed tears. "We hope so."

"Don't worry Aunt Phoebe – Denny's going to be just fine. No matter how much trouble she gets herself into, she always manages to get out of it without a scratch on her." DJ reassured her.

Will stepped forward and shook Darryl's hand. "Saw the press conference this morning Mr. Police Commissioner – impressive." He turned his attention to DJ next, "Hey kiddo – how's it going?"

DJ smiled weakly, "Aside from almost getting killed earlier today, not bad."

Everyone's attention was immediately captured, even Phoebe's, who was still anxiously clutching her daughter's hand.

As matriarch of the family, Piper took point and asked the question no one voiced. "What! What happened? Are you okay, honey?" She began to examine the young policeman, patting down his arms, making sure for herself that he was really in one piece.

Darryl cleared his throat. "That's actually why we're here. See, uh – I don't know really how to…uh…"

"DJ, why don't you tell us the story. Your dad seems to have developed a language problem." Piper said, her examination concluded.

DJ looked to his dad, who nodded, and then to the Halliwells – his surrogate family. "This morning I was following three gang members. Unfortunately, they caught me tailing them and gave me a beating I'm never going to forget. Next thing I know, I feel great. Some muscle aches, but great overall. No cuts, bruises, scrapes, concussion – nothing. It was like a whitelighter healed me."

Chris frowned, "But Wyatt was here all morning, accept for that quick trip to the apartment. He would have said something if he had healed you."

"Yeah – see, that's the thing. Wyatt didn't heal me. I'm pretty sure Uncle Leo did."

Chris stared at DJ in disbelief as he sank to the couch slowly. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed to take forever to find his voice, "WHAT!"

Piper was instantly at her son's side with an arm around his shoulders. "Honey – I was going to tell you this at a better time, but I guess someone up there wants you to know about it now." Piper shot a glare to the ceiling. "When Phoebe and Prudence went to investigate one of the crime scenes from that serial killer this morning, Phoebe got a premonition. She saw your Dad, peanut. He's very lost and very confused right now. Excalibur corrupted him and he doesn't remember us. He might even be responsible for the recent murders."

"Wait a minute – you know Dad's no longer in the Underworld – that he's hanging around San Francisco and you don't bother to tell me?"

"Honey – I was –"

"Dad's back?" Chris whispered to himself, interrupting his mother mid-sentence. His father…his father had returned…As a child, it had been the one thing Chris wished when the candles where blown out on his birthday cake. There had been so many times when he was growing up that he wished Leo had been there for him and now…now he had returned.

Chris looked into his mother's eyes and knew she understood what he needed to do.

"A blood relation has the best chance of finding him Mom – you know that."

Piper nodded, "Go find your Dad. Bring him home."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

He hadn't gone looking for evil. For once he had not set out with the intention of vanquishing. Leo had been trying to clear his head and remember more of the past. But then he stumbled upon two demons robbing a man of his car. He hadn't thought. He just acted. Leo's power had sliced through their chests and vanquished them before the demons had time to act. He was gone before the innocent had time to comprehend what had happened or realize who had saved him.

It felt good to vanquish. It felt right. There were too many grays in his world – this world – right now. After years in the Underworld he only knew black and white – right and wrong – Good and Evil. The gray areas didn't exist.

* * *

He walked through the city, mind and senses alert for demons. His search for memories abandoned.

Wyatt entered the living room with Melinda riding him piggyback just in time to see their brother disappear in the familiar blue and white orbs. Noting the somber faces and the recent arrival of Darryl and DJ, he knew something was up – something that wasn't great.

"Hey Uncle Darryl – DJ, what are you guys doing here?"

Piper spoke for them, "They have some information on the serial killings. They think that someone magical may be behind all of the attacks."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow, "Really? Like who? Maybe…oh, I don't know…Dad?"

It didn't surprise Piper in the slightest that Wyatt already knew Leo had returned.

"I saw him Mommy." Melinda said from her perch on Wyatt's back.

That surprised Piper. It surprised everyone in the room but Wyatt.

Melinda slid down her brother's back walked to her mother on the couch. "I saw him upstairs. How come Daddy said he wasn't my Daddy? Wyatt said it's 'cause he's confused. And he did look a little weird, but –"

Piper kneeled in front of Melinda and grabbed her daughter's upper arms with both hands. "Melly," Piper interrupted, "When? When did you see Daddy? Where did you see him?" Leo? Here? Oh god…Leo…

"Just a couple of minutes ago, Mommy." Melinda replied, a bit frightened at her mother's sudden outburst. "In the attic. I know I'm not supposed to be there without you or an adult, but Daddy was there. And I only looked at the book when Wyatt said I could Mommy – I promise, I –"

Piper pulled her daughter close and held her tightly, "It's okay Pumpkin – I'm not mad you were in the attic. I'm not mad at all. We've all missed Daddy so much…" Piper trailed off, still holding Melinda tightly to her while everyone looked on.

After a minute or two had passed, Darryl coughed slightly and cleared his throat. "We should probably get going, right DJ?"

The young man nodded in agreement with his dad. "Yeah – it was great seeing all of you. Sorry about everything – and keep us posted on Denny, okay?"

Phoebe nodded and gave the men a slight wave good-bye as Paige and Will along with Wyatt, escorted them to the door.

"You be more careful out there, you hear me kiddo?" Paige said to DJ as she hugged him. "And you," She turned to Darryl, finger pointing in his direction, "Are you and Shelia still on for next week?"

Darryl's face broke into an easy smile. "You bet. Shelia's been talking about this thing for weeks." The four, along with Phoebe and Piper, had been planning an "adult" outing for the past few weeks. The six were heading to a vineyard in Northern California for a long weekend of relaxation, good food and, of course, wine. "Like DJ said, keep us posted on Denny. We'll let you know if we hear anything on our end about Leo." Darryl then turned to Wyatt and put a fatherly hand on the young man's arm. "And you let us know if you hear anything on your end about your dad – okay Wy?"

Wyatt nodded and smiled at his third surrogate father – the first two being Will and his grandpa. "Will do Uncle Darryl. You coming to the club tonight DJ?"

"Yeah – I think so. I've got a ton of paperwork to do after this thing this morning, but I should be able to catch up in time."

Wyatt nodded, "Cool, see you then." And returned to the living room to his mother and sister.

Darryl checked to make sure the coast was clear and then lowered his voice. "Look – I didn't want to upset Piper or anyone else too much – Leo's return is enough to throw your guys' plane of existence out of whack. But I gotta tell you – the city needs us to find this serial killer. I really don't know what we're going to do. We gotta figure something out without exposing you or him."

Paige and Will nodded. "Sure, Darryl. Look – we'll do our best, like we know you'll do yours. Everyone is being put in a real difficult position, but it always works out in the end, right?" Will reassured the cop as well as his wife – who he could tell was getting a migraine from the day's activities. She wasn't the only one.

Wyatt re-entered the living room. Phoebe was still holding onto Prudence's hand for dear life. She turned to her nephew. "Did you find anything in the Book?"

He wanted to tell Phoebe he had found the cure to whatever was happening to Prudence, but he couldn't. With a silent shake of his head, he dashed the hope that had risen from the depths of her large brown eyes.

Veve had been sitting silently next to Perry through all of the recent revelations. Her mind was going a million light-years a second trying to comprehend her uncle's return and figure out a solution to her cousin's situation. "Do you think that Denny could be trapped in her premonition? I mean, Chris said that she had one before she, uh, collapsed. Perhaps you could tap into it? You guys share the same powers – perhaps you could guide her out of it." Veve had always been quick on her feet – it was a trait she had inherited from her mother.

Phoebe turned to Piper for guidance, "What do you think?"

The eldest Halliwell shrugged her shoulders. Between Leo's appearance at the manor, the discovery that it was he responsible for the deaths of innocents and her niece's collapse her mind was whirling. "It's worth a shot, I suppose. Can't see the harm in trying."

Phoebe took a deep breath and calmed her emotions, focusing them on her daughter. Adjusting her grip on her daughter's hand, she closed her eyes and attempted to tap into her Prudence's thoughts.

But there was nothing. Nothing but unending darkness. Her daughter's entire conscious had been over taken by the premonition.

Phoebe opened her eyes and the faces of her family came into focus once more. Paige and Will had re-joined them by this time as well.

"Well?" Piper prodded.

"Her mind has been overtaken by a powerful premonition. I can't even imagine the magnitude of what she's witnessing." Phoebe replied slowly, apprehension filling her voice.

The Halliwells fell silent.

"What about Paul?" Wyatt's suggestion broke the silence that had stretched several minutes. "Maybe he could help."

"Paul!" Phoebe called out for her daughter's whitelighter. Originally, Paul had been assigned to all six of the Halliwell children. But as they grew, their developing powers and attitudes had become too much for one whitelighter to handle. Enter Callie, who had been assigned to Perry, Veve and Melly.

The whitelighter appeared only seconds later, filling the living room with orbs. "You rang?" Paul asked as he fully appeared.

"Yes!" Phoebe nodded furiously, "Prudence had a premonition and then collapsed. We think she's trapped inside the premonition."

Paul appeared to be in his early twenties. In reality, the whitelighter was over 200 years old. He wasted no time going to Prudence's side. Phoebe reluctantly backed away from her daughter to give Paul room.

"I tried to heal her." Wyatt stated. "But she's not hurt. And I couldn't sense that she was in any danger either."

Paul nodded, considering Wyatt's input and Phoebe's fears for Prudence. He tried to remember a similar instance with another one of his charges that happened about 60 years ago.

Paul turned to Phoebe, "Did you attempt to tap into the premonition?"

The witch nodded, "It was useless. Whatever she's experience has completely overtaken her mind."

"I seem to remember this happening with another one of my charges some years ago." Paul stated, "He was fine – but trapped inside a premonition – actually, it wasn't a premonition, but a past life. I think Prudence is developing a new power – the ability to see other's past lives. Unfortunately, she was overwhelmed. There's nothing to do except wait until she wakes up."

The look shared between his mother and aunts at the words "past life" was not unnoticed by Wyatt. He filed the question away for a later time – perhaps when his cousin wasn't developing a new power and his dad hadn't returned from the Underworld corrupted with no memory of his family.

Paul looked to Phoebe, "What triggered Prudence's premonition?"

"Chris." Piper replied, her voice trailing off. She knew what Prudence was reliving. The time had now come to reveal everything to her sons. Piper looked above again, the same question she had asked earlier vibrating through her mind, why can't we ever deal with one crisis a time like normal people?

* * *

_The sun's rays beat down upon his back and shoulders. It was sweltering, he had shed his shirt a long time ago and now stood bare chested in front of a line of graves. They were all here – Grams, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Prue, Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige, his sister Melinda, his cousins, his mother, and lastly, his father. He had buried most of them – personally dug their graves, and laid their bodies to rest long after their spirits had gone. He had just shoveled the last bit of dirt on his father's grave._

_His family's graves were the scars of his past. They opened doors to memories and thoughts he would just as soon forget. He did not want to remember the playful bickering of his aunts, his mother's smile and embrace, his sister's crazy habit to follow his every move…_

_Chris let the shovel slip from his grasp and land on the grass with a muffled thunk. He was the last. Wyatt didn't count anymore. Sliding to his knees, Chris shook his head. He was the last one. He couldn't fight anymore. He didn't have anyone to fight for. A single tear slid down his cheek as he laughed bitterly – there was only one way to go now. One path to follow. Hell, he thought sourly, he was already walking that path – killing witches, doing Wyatt's bidding. There was nothing to do but admit defeat and join Wyatt, fulfill his new evil destiny. He looked to the sky, praying for something – anything. He waited. No sign. The heavens were silent._

_"Why?" He whispered his gaze pulled away from the sky and fell upon the neat row of graves. "Why my family? Why us? Why me? Why?" Throwing his head back his green eyes narrowed and turned dark as he shouted into the sky. "We sacrificed ourselves for YOU! Generation after generation of my family and this is how YOU repay us! My family was murdered and YOU watched! Did YOU enjoy the show! Did YOU enjoy seeing their blood and mangled bodies? Why are they dead? WHY? WHY DO I LIVE? WHY PUNISH ME!"_

_Exhausted and trembling Chris fell upon the ground, his bare chest heaving for breath. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good night's sleep; his eyelids were just so heavy. And here, in a cemetery surrounded by the graves of his family, Chris fell asleep._

* * *

It was noon. Almost three hours had passed and there was no change in Prudence's condition – and Chris had not yet returned. Piper was antsy. Two hours ago she concluded she had had enough of sitting and stormed the kitchen. Now she was doing what she did best – baking. Already 3 dozen muffins lined the kitchen table, cooling. The timer was ready to go off any moment for the batch of fruit filled pastries and Piper wasn't done yet. A large bowl of cookie dough was waiting to be dropped onto pans and ingredients for cranberry nut bars were lining the counter.

"Whoa – check out the marathon baking session." Paige said entering the kitchen. "So you know, Melly and Veve are upstairs in their room. Wyatt is searching the Book while hanging out with Phoebe and Prudence in the living room; and, for lack of anything better to do at the moment, my husband and son are upstairs touching up the paint in the bathrooms. No change in Prudence – and Chris hasn't returned."

Piper's only response was to pull the pastries out of the oven.

Paige poured herself a glass of milk and sat at the kitchen table, debating between blackberry corn or a lemon peach muffin before helping herself to one of each – orbing did use up a lot of calories… "Have you thought about sitting?" Paige half-mumbled through her first bite of the blackberry muffin, "You're a walking nerve right now. Sit down, take a load off and talk to me. Cause I guarantee, that pastry isn't going to listen half as well as I can."

Back still turned to Paige, Piper began shaping the cookie dough into balls on greased pans. Once again, no response.

Paige watched as her oldest sister placed the dough on the pan with mechanical grace – it was as if someone had replaced her sister with a non-responsive robot. She was Piper Light – half the attitude, half the personality.

Paige popped the last bit of muffin into her mouth and approached the island Piper was working behind. "Piper – nobody is expecting you to take this well. Your husband has returned. After being absent from your – our lives for eight years, he's come back. And he's apparently off his nut to boot. Trust me Piper, no one expects you to take this well."

Piper remained silent, automatically dropping dough onto the pan.

Paige walked around the island and put her hand on Piper's arm. "Piper! Talk to me – you have to talk to someone!"

The toaster behind Paige exploded suddenly. Paige yelped, jumping almost a foot in the air.

Piper's head turned furiously in the direction of the toaster, as it did, Paige gasped. Piper's eyes were swollen and red with tears she could not bring herself to shed.

"Oh sweetie." Paige sighed and opened her arms. Piper gratefully fell into her sister's arms and began to sob.

"What the hell!" Wyatt exclaimed before he had a chance to reform completely from the blue and white orbs that bathed the kitchen with supernatural luminescence. The sound of an explosion had caught his attention from the living room.

Paige shot her nephew a look for the language and gestured slightly to Piper with a nod of her head. Taking in his mother's breakdown, Wyatt didn't know what to do – so he did the only thing that came to mind. He wrapped his arms around his petite mother and aunt and joined the hug.

* * *

It was one foot in front of the other as he walked down the street in a dazed state of mind. One moment everything looked familiar and he recognized the storefronts, the next it was completely foreign.

He was lost.

But he kept walking, something was pulling him closer to the water – something was pulling him to the bridge.

* * *

He was just about to give up. His dad had returned, but he still didn't want to be found – maybe Excalibur had corrupted him worse than they had thought. Chris sat on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, slumped against one of the beams, if there was one place in the city where he could feel his father's presence, it was here.

The air around him was saturated with his father's essence. The bridge had been the site of the special talks father and sons had shared. Chris concentrated on his father – memories of childhood swirled through his mind as he remembered his father's laugh, the timbre of his voice, the way he could fix anything, his inability to reprimand or punish his sons.

Leo had been Chris's hero since the young witch could first remember. He believed his dad was capable of solving or fixing anything – not because he was an Elder, or a being of magic – it was simply because Leo was his father.

* * *

He stood staring at the giant orange legs of the bridge. The modern marvel of man now loomed in front of him. His instinct told him to go to the very top. Unsure of what he might find, he hesitated for a second before fading from the park below to the clouds above.

There was a young man in his early twenties slumped against a beam, his eyes closed and his mouth was pulled into a wistful smile. Leo knew this man – it was his son.

The youth's eyes fluttered for a moment and then snapped open – Leo could only assume it was because Chris had sensed his presence.

Chris stood, desperately trying not to lose his balance. "Dad?" He whispered.

It was a simple word, but the sound of it brought tears to Leo's eyes. Could he really do this?

"Dad? It's me –" Chris hesitated, "Chris – your son."

The young witch took a step towards the older man, taking in his decrepit appearance – the ragged clothes, dirty, pallid skin, the streaks of gray in his long hair and beard. The man before Chris was barely his father in appearance, and less of his father in essence – but he was still his father.

Chris took another step forward and offered his hand to Leo. "I've missed you Dad. We've all missed you."

It was too much. He couldn't do this. He was so confused. But he couldn't leave. "Chr – Chris." He spoke his son's name haltingly, his dry lips and throat barely able to utter that one word.

His son smiled, "Yeah – I'm Chris, Dad."

"I – I…" Leo began to lift his hand to Chris's but hesitated. How could he explain what was in his heart? How could he explain the past? He lowered his hand. "I'm sorry, Chris."

His son's hand was still outstretched as Leo turned and faded from sight.

* * *

_Prudence swam through the darkness – a witness to a life that could have been._

_A gentle breeze woke him. He rolled on his back and sighed, willing all of the past few years to all be a horrible nightmare. He stared at the sky, attempting to determine what time it was. The night sky was a deep black – the color of midnight and very early morning hours. He must have been out for at least 10 hours. Maybe more._

_"You're going to catch cold if you stay out here without a shirt on young man."_

_He knew that voice. It was a voice that had reprimanded and praised him throughout his formative years. He didn't dare look up; he feared she wouldn't really be there if he did. He feared her voice was just inside his head._

_"Don't just sit there like a bump on a log Christopher Perry Halliwell, is that anyway to greet your mother?"_

_Slowly, Chris raised his head. It was true. She was there – standing in front of him, a golden glow surrounding her figure. She was just as he remembered her._

_She smiled when his eyes met hers and she walked towards him; the glow faded after two steps and she became fully corporeal. She knelt next to him and placed her hand on his cheek, "Hey peanut," she whispered._

_"Mom!" Chris cried. The young witch threw his arms around his mother and leaned into her for the comfort only a mother can give a son. The eldest Charmed One held tightly to her youngest as the sobs wracked his chest._

_After several minutes, his sobbing ceased and he eased away from his mother's embrace._

_She smiled, "I'm so proud of you peanut – "_

_Chris interrupted, "Proud of what?" He snorted. "Are you proud I've taken the lives of witches?"_

_Piper's smile faded, "No. I'm not proud of that. But sometimes we need to do things we aren't necessarily proud of in order to survive – in order for hope to survive. You've kept hope alive Chris. For yourself, for your family – for the whole world. You're still fighting. You're keeping your promise – you're not giving up."_

_Chris hung his head, shamed. The truth was, he wanted to give up. He wanted to forget all of this had ever happened. He wanted to forget he had a brother, forget the promise he made in his mother's dying moments. Most of all, though, he wanted to forget what he had done. What he knew he had yet to do._

_"I know that it's hard peanut – I know you want to give up. But you can't. You won't. It's not in your nature to give up. I know you better than you know yourself Chris. I know you can succeed to save our family. Your life is not a punishment. You are the only one of us strong enough to fight your brother and what he's become. I believe in you Chris – your dad believes in you, your family believes in you."_

_"The problem is not my family's faith in me – it's the faith I have in myself. In this whole situation. You say I was the only one strong enough to take Wyatt on – but I don't have nearly the powers Wyatt does. Why was I spared Mom? Why didn't he just kill me too?"_

_"Ever since you and Wyatt were babies, the two of you always had this special bond. If your brother was truly evil, not even that bond would matter to him. The bond matters – to him it matters. There is still good in your brother Chris. You're the only one that can help him find it."_

_Normally after talking to his mother the weight of the world would slip off Chris's shoulders. Today was a different story. Today his burden became heavier. "How?"_

_Piper shrugged, "I wish I knew peanut – I wish I had all of the answers for you, but I don't."_

_"I miss you so much Mom. I miss all of you – Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe, Melly, Grandpa, the cousins – and now Dad. I really wish you could stay."_

_Piper smiled, "I do too peanut – but I can't. In fact, my time is almost up."_

_"So soon?" Chris asked, "You have to leave so soon?"_

_Piper ignored the question. "Give me a hug." She directed Chris and she enfolded her youngest son in her embrace. She pulled away and looked him directly in the eye – "Remember Chris, we promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears. Everything does happen for a reason. You promised me you would find a way to heal our family. I know you will Chris. I believe in you. All of us believe in you."_

* * *

Chris orbed into the foyer. He took a quick glance at the grandfather clock – it had been over six hours since he had left. His mother must have been going nuts. He decided to check on Denny first before facing Piper.

Wyatt's long slumbering frame was stretched out on one of the sofas in the living room, his legs from the knees dangled over one of the ends. His mouth was open and a little puddle of drool had formed on one of their mom's best pillows.

Phoebe was wide awake and still clutching Prudence's hand, determined not to leave her daughter's side.

She turned to the doorway and knew without asking that Chris had found Leo. She also knew Leo had run away from him.

"How's Denny?" Chris whispered.

Phoebe shook her head. "No change. Paul thinks she got a new power. The ability to see pieces of other's past lives."

"So she's going to be okay?" Chris asked, his whisper now hopeful.

Phoebe nodded, "We think so. We're just waiting for her to wake up. Your mom's in her room by the way."

Chris pressed his lips together in a firm line and nodded. "You wanna wake up sleeping ugly over there? He's gotta start getting the club ready for tonight. Tell him I'll be there as soon as I can."

Phoebe nodded. Chris thought he spotted a faint smirk pass her lips at his "sleeping ugly" remark. Time to face Mom….he thought as he began climbing the stairs.

* * *

"Mom?" Chris's knock was unanswered. He slowly opened the door and peeked into Piper's bedroom. His mother was sitting on her bed flipping through a photo album. He entered and closed the door gently behind him. "Mom?"

Piper looked up from the album and met her son's eyes with her own anxious brown.

Chris shook his head. He crossed the room and sat at the end of the bed facing Piper. "I found him mom. I saw him. He was barely himself, but he was still my Dad." Chris thought for a moment before continuing. "I think – I know – he knew who I was. I know he still loves me. But he's afraid. I think there's a lot he doesn't remember. He said he was sorry."

Piper absorbed what her son told her. Then looked down at the album once more. It was a picture of Leo with Wyatt and Chris on a family trip. Father stood in the middle with an arm casually slung around each of his son's shoulders. "Do you remember this picture?"

Chris followed his mother's gazed to the photograph. "Sure, that was our last family vacation together. We went to Washington D.C. because you insisted that Wyatt and I learn about our nation's history and stuff. We went to the Smithsonian, all of the memorials, and a tour of the White House. Wy and I barely paid attention to any of it."

Piper looked at her son, "It was your father's idea, actually. He was determined to provide you two with the best life had to offer." Piper took a breath, and then began. "Chris – when you were born, your father swore to you that no harm would come to you or our family. He promised to protect us from the evils of the world. We had demon attacks when you were young – but there were very few compared to the attacks my sisters and I suffered when we first came into our powers. Your father is responsible for that. He spent most of his time in the Underworld then – vanquishing demons to protect our family. Your father is a very strong man Chris, but he is not strong enough to save himself from the grief and pain of failing his family."

Chris shook his head attempting to comprehend what his mother was telling him. "But Dad didn't fail us, Mom. He never did."

"He believes he did Chris. And until he believes otherwise, he won't come home."

* * *

Wyatt had his hands full at the moment – literally. He was desperately trying to walk up the stairs of P3's basement without dropping the cases of glasses that were in his arms or nail his head against the low ceiling. Sure, he could orb – but he wanted to spare himself Piper's voice echoing through his head, reprimanding him on personal gain. He took the stairs slowly, checking his progress after every two or three steps. He was almost to the top.

"Wy? Wyatt!"

Startled from his deep concentration, Wyatt jumped, hitting the ceiling with his forehead and releasing his hold on the cases of glasses. The boxes rolled their way down the stairs. The shattering noises did not bode well.

Wyatt groaned. "Basement!" He hollered and started down the stairs muttering curses.

Chris appeared at the top of the stairs, "What the hell was that noise?"

Wyatt turned and looked up at his brother, "You scaring the hell out of me – that's what. I was carrying some glasses up the stairs. When you yelled for me, I hit my head on the ceiling and dropped the glasses." He lightly kicked one of the boxes with his foot, "I'm gonna guess that sound means they're all broken."

Chris winced, "Sorry Wy."

"No prob – just don't tell mom."

"Tell mom what?" Chris asked.

Wyatt grinned mischievously, "Exactly." Waving his hand over the boxes they disappeared.

Chris narrowed his eyes, "Wy…."

Wyatt put his hand up, interrupting his brother before his two least favorite words were said. "Whoa – stop. You owe me and you promised. Besides – it's too late now. The glasses are in one piece again and already upstairs waiting to be stocked."

Chris shrugged, knowing he was beat. "How are the preparations coming?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Well, aside from stocking the glasses, I'd say we're set for a night of entertaining the underage." Every Monday night P3 transformed from a happening nightclub for the mid-twenties and up crowd to a happening dance club for the sixteen to twenty crowd.

"Then you have a minute?"

"For you bro, I've got three. What's up?" Wyatt asked, starting up the stairs.

"I saw Dad."

"Wha – Ow!" Wyatt had once again smacked his head on the low ceiling.

"I saw him on the bridge Wy. It's like he knew I was there waiting for him." The two brothers walked to the bar in the center of the club. Wyatt swung his tall frame onto a barstool; Chris went around the bar to grab an ice pack and a beer for his brother.

"What did he say? What did he look like?" Wyatt asked, applying the soothing ice pack to his twice-bruised forehead.

Chris took a swig of his beer before responding. "He didn't look like Dad at all. His hair was really long and stringy. There was gray in his hair – as if he had aged. His skin was really pale and he looked as if he had lost a good 30 or so pounds. But the thing that had changed the most was his essence Wy – it was murky, not as – "

"– brilliant?" Wyatt interrupted, "or good?" Chris nodded. "I felt a presence in our apartment earlier today. Like – really early. I was going to say something, but I decided not to until I had more facts."

"But he recognized me, Wy! I know he did – he said my name and almost reached out to me, but something stopped him – something pulled him back. Then he apologized and just faded out. He didn't orb – he faded. What the hell does that mean!"

Wyatt could feel the nervous energy flowing off of Chris. He knew his neurotic little brother had already looked in the Book and was ready to hit Magic School's library for some serious research time. Hey – if it eased his mind, what was the harm? "I don't know Chris. Did you ask Mom or the aunts?"

Chris shook his head. "I didn't want to worry them."

"Then why don't you check out Magic School? While you're there, think you could dig up some info on Denny's new power?"

Chris nodded, "You'll be okay here without me for awhile?"

Wyatt smiled, "We've got plenty of staff tonight – besides, we're bigger and stronger than those rugrats – I'd like to see 'em try and take us."

* * *

Piper Halliwell sat in her bedroom surrounded by photo albums and notebooks filled with letters and memories – all carefully catalogued for her husband. The husband who had sacrificed himself for his family. Knowing what must be done; Piper picked up a pencil and a notepad and began to write. A few short minutes later she was done.

For a moment, her resolve wavered; however, she was not the type to give up without a fight. She had fought to be with Leo in the first place, and together the two of them had fought for their children and family. Praying to God, the Elders – anyone who would possibly hear her. Grant me the courage to save him.

With a deep breath, she began her rhyme, "Take me to the one I love / whether near or far / take me the man who lost his way / that bloody day."

Golden orbs surrounded the eldest Charmed One and carried her out of her room and through the city. As the lights dissipated around her, her eyes grew wide with horror. "No! Leo, don't!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey Guys! Sorry I've been shirking my duties and not updated, for – well, almost forever! Okay, it really hasn't been that long, but it's been long enough and I thank you for your patience with me! Life has been crazy busy lately. It's 9 months and counting to my wedding day and planning has already consumed my life! Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter – I promise, the next one will come really – really soon! Toodles! Miss. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_Through the darkness Prudence was transported to another echo of a life that could have been…_

_He sat in a corner booth with a silent confidence. His identity and thoughts disguised behind a face and body he had glamoured. It was year since Wyatt had murdered their father. A year since Chris had turned double agent._

_Wyatt knew there was a double agent in his operation. Never would he have believed that it was his brother. In fact, he had given Chris the assignment of closely monitoring the actions of a curvy brunette in black leather who was, at the moment, tossing back her third – perhaps fourth – shot of tequila. Wyatt thought she was the double agent._

_Chris cast another glance around, eyeing up the demons that filled the joint. Most of them were watching her. Not that he could blame them. This latest assignment from Wyatt was certainly easy on the eyes._

_"The joint" had once been P3 – his mother's pride and joy. Now it served as a demon hangout. Taking a sip of his beer, Chris shook his head. Right now, Piper Halliwell was rolling over in her grave. Not because there were demons in her club, but because of all the health code violations this place had against it. Then again, when had demons cared about health codes?_

_His thoughts were pulled back to the present with some very loud, very vulgar curses. Chris turned his gaze to the far corner of the club. The curvy brunette was getting into some trouble. From his vantage point, Chris couldn't tell exactly how much trouble she was in, but the energy balls hovering above the palms of several demons around her summed it up pretty well._

_Did he dare blow his cover? Or would she be able to get out of this one alive without his help? He needed her alive. It took Wyatt's suspicions off of him; it let him operate for both the resistance and his brother without too many questions._

_Chris was still pondering his choice when the fight started. Demons converged on the brunette, figuring her to only be another curvy shape – not the trained assassin that she was. The brunette dodged the energy balls and somehow managed to get on the outside of the circle. Athames appeared in each hand and she dove back in the fray. The dance of hers was quite impressive, she moved on the balls of her feet, gracefully stabbing and kicking. It was over in a matter of moments. Chris raised one eyebrow, impressed. He got up and walked towards the brunette._

_She had barely worked up a sweat. Chris noticed her eyes first, they were brown with flecks of gold. Hard and cold, they were completely unlike his mother's warm cinnamon eyes; yet somehow they still reminded him of Piper's._

_"You look thirsty - can I buy you a drink?" Chris asked, surprised at the nonchalance his voice had._

_The brunette smirked, "Sure – why not."_

_Chris offered her his hand, "The name is Perry."_

_She took it – her flesh was cool and made his warm hand tingle. "Bianca."_

* * *

"No! Leo, don't!" Piper called out, desperate to stop the death of another innocent. Out of instinct, she threw up her hands attempting to freeze the room and it's occupants. The innocents froze – Leo did not. Already the energy beam he used to vanquish demons was shooting from his palm. It sliced through the air into the man's chest. 

"LEO!" Piper screamed, desperate to stop what had already happened. Another innocent was dead.

Leo looked around confused, who had called out his name? She stepped from the shadows. She, whose eyes haunted him, judged him, tortured him these long years through the Underworld and all of his vanquishes, murders and betrayals.

"Leo – please, don't do this." Her voice was softer now, her plea slid over his ears like honey.

Silence filled the empty warehouse. Leo licked his dry lips, "Who are you?"

He was not the man she had fallen in love with. The man she loved was barely inside the shell of a man who stood before her now. His clothes were ragged, dirty and unkempt – as was the rest of him. A single tear rolled down Piper's cheek for her lost love as she answered. "Piper Halliwell-Wyatt. I'm your wife."

"Piper…" Leo murmured, tasting the name. "Piper…" A memory flashed before him.

* * *

_He had expected to arrive just in time to go to dinner with his family. Instead, he arrived in the midst of a battle that tore the seams of his world apart. His sons and wife were lying on the floor of what had once been the foyer. His sister-in-law was there too. Wyatt's shield protected them from the evil that had infiltrated their home. He screamed with a cold fury and let loose his rage slaughtering the demons that threatened his family. His rage fueled his powers and transformed them. Hundreds of demons were cut down with a single beam of pure energy. _

_As he approached his family, Wyatt's shield deactivated itself knowing the threat was gone. Wyatt seemed to be fine – it appeared as if the power of Excalibur had been too much for him to handle at once. Piper and Chris were a tangle of limps. Piper was crumpled over and lying on her side, Chris was sprawled over her as if to protect. Rolling his son over, Leo saw the gash in his shoulder. Immediately, Leo reached out and healed the wound._

_The teenager opened his eyes slowly, "Dad?" _

_"I'm here Chris, I'm here." _

_"Where's mom? Dad? Where's mom?"_

_Oh, god – Piper…Please, please not Piper… He rolled his wife on her back and saw the gaping holes in her flesh. He thought for a moment about how beautiful she must have looked with her long hair flowing freely down her back. Blinking back tears Leo hadn't even noticed until now, he reached his hand out to hover above his wife's mangled form. The golden glow of healing radiated from his hand, but he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't feel Piper._

_Piper Halliwell – his wife, his best friend, and the mother of his children, the eldest of the Charmed Ones – was dead. He had failed Chris. He had broken his promise._

_Leo turned to his youngest son, the tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry Chris. I'm so sorry." His voice was a bare whisper. "I failed you Chris. I failed all of you."_

_"What do you mean dad? What's happened to mom? The boy's voice started growing in pitch, "Why aren't you healing her?" The last question trembled out of Chris's throat. _

_Leo shook his head, disbelieving the words he was about to say. "Your mother's gone Chris. I'm sorry – I failed."_

* * *

Slightly dizzy from the memory, Leo stumbled and caught his balance. He looked at her – directly into those eyes that had haunted him all of this time. He remembered her. He remembered the first moment they had met, the first kiss they ever shared, the first night they held each other, their wedding day, the birth of their sons, her death. He licked his lips again. "You're dead." 

Piper shook her head. "I'm not, Leo. I'm very much alive." She took a step towards him, her heart aching.

"I saw you. I tried to heal you. You were dead – are dead."

Piper took another two steps to cross the distance between the two of them. The closer she got, the more her heart broke. The man before her was only a fraction of what he had been – of what he could have been. "I did die Leo – but it wasn't my time. I was sent back."

He shook his head, fighting the lies that were so tempting to believe. His wife – alive. His family whole and safe. "I can't believe it."

Piper took a few more steps forward. If she reached out, her fingertips would brush his bruised skin. "Can't believe it, Leo? Or don't want to believe it? I am your wife. It's true – I died. But I was brought back. It wasn't my time. You didn't let us down, Leo. You protected us – just like you've always protected us – like you've always saved us. Give me the chance to do the same for you Leo, let me save you."

He looked to his hands and his face crumpled in fear, what had he done – what had he become? He had made a choice that fateful day five years ago. He had sacrificed himself for his family – for Piper. If her standing in front of him, alive, was a lie – he would gladly believe it for eternity. He ached to throw away this life he had created for himself. No sleep – no food – just demons. And he was tired – so tired of the constant battle. He wanted – no, needed his family – but would they need him? Would they even want him anymore? His eyes turned to Piper. "Will you help me?" he begged those cinnamon eyes to forgive him, to love him as they once had so long ago.

Without a word, Piper nodded and reached her hand out. For a moment, Leo hesitated and turned slightly away, afraid. But he steeled himself and slowly brought his hand an inch from hers. Piper closed the gap and circled his hand with hers and recited, "Long enough we have roamed / send us to where our hearts call home."

* * *

The golden lights carried them through Halliwell Manor and left them in Piper's bedroom – their bedroom. It was unfamiliar to Leo, but he knew it was a place he was supposed to know well. Piper was still holding his hand, and she gently tugged him towards the bathroom. 

There was a towel and a razor on the sink counter – almost as if someone was expecting him. Wordlessly, Piper gently let go of Leo's hand and began to get the shower ready for him. As her back was turned, she began talking. "I know a shower's going to help you feel better – and then, after the shower, we'll have a shave and then I'll get you something to eat, okay Leo?" Desperately, she tried to restore some normalcy to the situation – nothing about this situation is normal, Piper! She told herself, but talking through a plan of action helped calm her nerves. At least, until she turned around.

Leo had undressed while she had prepared the shower. And now he stood in the middle of the bathroom, his rags of clothing in a puddle next to his feet.

Piper blushed and dropped her gaze from her past lover's body to the floor. "The shower's ready." She mumbled, half hiding behind her hair. She moved right, then left, before choosing right again. It was as if she were trying to make up her mind which was the best route to take past Leo and out the bathroom.

As they passed each other, her leaving and him to the shower, Leo lifted his hand and slid his fingers over a few silky strands of her long brown hair. Piper stopped mid-step and turned to him, her eyes searching his.

"Please…" He whispered his voice cracking. "Please don't go. I've spent the so many days and nights searching for peace. And – you, you are peace. Your presence soothes me. Please don't go." She nodded consent. For a long moment Leo rubbed a few strands of her hair with his fingers. Slowly, hesitantly, he brought his hand to her cheek.

He had changed so much, yet deep inside was the same man – the same man Piper had married; and this thought warmed her heart. The single touch of his hand let Piper know he still existed. Despite the corruption of Excalibur and the years in the Underworld, her Leo – her husband, her children's father, was alive and fighting to survive.

She lifted her gaze to his and saw the passion and uncertainty in his faded green eyes. She smiled, to reassure and caught his hand with her own. And they stood, together, bodies close, hands entwined.

* * *

Chris sighed, ran his hand through his brown shaggy hair and tried to get a grasp on the chapter he had just read. Researching Prudence's new power had been easy. Apparently, it was an incredibly rare power; according to the article he had read, there were only 113 witches in documented history to have the power of visiting past and alternative lives. The Elders and entire magical community kept very close watch on these witches as they had a very dangerous power – if used in the wrong way. All in all – it was a really cool power. 

That had been the easy part of his research. Figuring out why his Dad was fading instead of orbing was another matter altogether. So far he had learned that fading was not an inherently evil power – but it wasn't an inherently good power either. Chris didn't know if he was relieved or not. He looked at his watch – two hours had passed since he had started – it was time to take a break.

The young witch stood and stretched, his mouth relinquishing a large yawn and his stomach a large grumble at the same time. Paige always kept something to snack on in the small refrigerator she kept in her office. He knew she wouldn't mind if he helped himself to some of her secret stash.

Paige's office had barely changed in 23 years. The stacks of paperwork on her desk always changed height and a couple of years ago she broke down and bought new chairs, but other than that, it was the same office. Bending down, Chris opened the small fridge and found a soda, some cheese, two apples and a jar of salsa. He discovered the tortilla chips in the file cabinet next to the refrigerator after a few moments searching.

"What are you doing?" A sharp female voice – not his Aunt Paige's – came from the doorway.

Startled, Chris dropped the soda. How it happened he had no idea – cans of soda drop everyday without consequence, but this one exploded as it hit the floor and sprayed him with cool, sticky liquid.

"Great, just great." Chris muttered under his breath. Paige was going to kill him. Some of her desk had gotten hit with the soda.

"What are you doing? Don't you know this office is off limits to students after hours?"

Chris shuffled 90 degrees in the small puddle of soda that was on the floor. The girl standing in the door was the type of girl Chris normally had trouble making basic vowel sounds to – forget making complete sentences. But Chris was standing in a puddle of soda. A puddle of soda that would have never existed if he hadn't been startled. Fighting to keep a grip on his patience, Chris answered. "I'm getting something to eat from my Aunt's office. And you just made me spill a soda. And now it's everywhere – the carpet, me, Aunt Paige's desk…Oh, and by the way, I'm not a student. Was – but I've been graduated for awhile now. Who are you?"

The girl narrowed her eyes and continued to glare. Cocking her chin slightly upward she appeared to be figuring out if she could trust him or not. "You're her nephew?"

Chris nodded. "My name is Chris – Chris Halliwell."

"Does she know you're raiding the fridge?"

Chris snorted, "To be honest lady, I don't think she knows I'm here. My family's dealing with two, possibly three crises at once right now. I'm a little hungry, a little thirsty and really irritated that my pants are wet. Who are you?"

The girl finally left the doorway and crossed the room to where Chris was. She smirked, "A lot cranky too, I see."

"What's with the hostility? Did I do something to you?"

"We should really get you out of those wet pants."

"Don't you think I should know at least your name before you try to undress me?"

The girl smirked again. Her blue eyes, once piercing, were now laughing. "Sorry for startling you earlier. I thought I was the only one here. I work for your Aunt. My name is Katherine, but everyone calls me Kit. Now can we clean this mess up?"

Katherine…Kit…Chris liked the sound of that. Now that she was next to him, Chris noticed her hair was a reddish-brown color. How long it was he couldn't tell as she had it pulled back in one of those messy half-ponytail/half-bun hairstyles women seemed to favor. He also got a chance to notice what she was wearing – a Wonder Woman t-shirt and dark gray yoga pants. "Think highly of yourself?" Chris asked, nodding at her shirt and smirking playfully.

"Just stating the obvious. We really need to clean this mess up – Paige is going to have a meltdown if she sees her desk has been hit with this stuff."

"Aunt Paige's bark is far worse than her bite."

"Oh – so your family bites?"

"Only when asked."

"Look, as much as I love trading these quips with you, we really need to get this cleaned up before a ton of damage is done to Paige's paperwork. Do you think you could close your mouth and lend me a hand here?" Kit said, lowering herself to the floor to start mopping up the soda.

"Sure – sure, not a problem. Let the object of objection / become but a dream / as I cause the scene / to become unseen." In ten seconds the soda was all gone – every last bit of it.

Kit looked up at Chris from her squat, "What was that?"

Chris smiled, "Uh, help – you asked for it about three times in the past two minutes."

"No, help would have been to grab some towels or tissues or even one of Paige's robes and begin mopping up your spill. That was showing off to impress a girl."

"Did it work?"

Kit cocked her head to the side and thought a moment. "Not really, but you did save me from wasting my time cleaning up your mess. Now I can get back to work."

"My mess? Hey – if you hadn't startled me, I would have never dropped that can."

"Sure butterfingers."

Chris held his hands up in sign of defeat. "Okay, okay – truce?"

One of Kit's eyebrows went up, "What are the conditions?"

"I buy you a soda or beverage of your choice and you, in turn, do the same for me."

"Hmmmm….I've got work to do."

"So do I – how about we call a truce and the conditions are fulfilled at another date and time – say tomorrow? 8 pm? P3?"

Kit pondered the idea for a moment – a date? P3 sounded like a great club – a bunch of her fellow grad students talked about it all the time, and; to be honest, all work and no play was making Kit a very dull girl. This conversation had been the most fun she had had in weeks. Not that she was regretting her choice to attend graduate school – she was just regretting her choice to go after two degrees at the same time. "Sure – why not, I could use a night off from my studying."

Chris's face relaxed into a grin, "Great! I'll see you there."

"Definitely." Kit smiled back and then turned to leave, as she reached the door, she turned around again. "Don't forget to turn out the lights when you're done."

"I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you." Chris said, walking towards her.

* * *

_"Here…this will remind you of why you're doing this, and what's waiting for you here." She took off her engagement ring and pressed it into his palm. Slowly Bianca folded Chris's fingers over his palm and the ring was tightly held in his fist._

_The two embraced. "Just make sure you take care of the guards, okay? Then get out of here. Because if he finds you, if he knows you betrayed him, he'll kill you." Chris spoke into the woman's long dark hair, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist._

_She pulled away from him. She didn't want the embrace to ever end, but knew it was necessary for him to leave, and he didn't need her to make it any harder for him. "Don't worry; I can take care of myself."_

_Together they approached the stand the Halliwell Book of Shadows had always rested on – now empty save for a holographic projection of it. Chris pulled out a piece of paper and began reciting, "I call upon the ancient power, to help us in this darkest hour, let the book return to this place, claim refuge in its rightful space." The book appeared and Chris exclaimed, "It worked!"_

_"The spell, find the spell." The woman urged him._

_Chris flipped through the pages of his family's legacy, desperately searching for the spell he needed. Finally he found it and began to recite, "Hear these words, hear the rhyme, heed the hope within my mind, send me back to where I'll find, what I wish in place and time."_

_A portal opened in the triquetra that had been drawn on the wall. Chris began walking towards it, turning to look back, he noticed a demon shimmer in behind the woman. "Bianca!" He called out, warning her. She fought the demon off and motioned to the portal behind him, "Go, Chris!"_

_With one last longing look, he stepped into the portal._

* * *

There had been no change in Prudence's condition all day. Early evening and she was still trapped in a premonition – past life, whatever the hell it was, Phoebe didn't care what anymore – as long as her little girl was okay. 

"Pheebs? Yo –sis, you listening to me?" Paige brought Phoebe out of her reverie.

"Sorry – what Paige?"

"I've been trying to get an answer out of you for the past 10 minutes."

"About what?"

Paige waived the take out menus in the air. "Dinner, Phoebe. What do you want for dinner? Pizza? Chinese? Indian?"

Nothing sounded good.

"Whatever you want is fine with me Paige – I don't even know if I'm going to eat any of it."

Paige frowned and plunked down in a chair opposite Phoebe's. "Phoebe – you have to snap out of this. Prudence is fine. She is going to wake up, and then, we're all going to have a very long talk about how to control this new power. Trust me Phoebe – Prudence is going to be just fine."

Phoebe looked to Paige and shook her head. "You just don't understand."

"Understand what?" Paige asked, "I'm a mother too, in case you just happened to forget. If Veve or Perry were on that couch instead of Prudence I would probably be doing the same thing you're doing right now. I would also hope that our roles would reverse and you would be giving me the same talk I'm giving you right now. Worrying is not going to help. Sitting is not going to help. But going through the motions will distract you enough."

"Distract me enough? To do what?"

Paige held up the take out menus again, "What do you want?"

"I don't know what anyone else wants – but some Chicken Tikka and those little potato and pea dumplings would really hit the spot right now." Prudence croaked, her voice and throat dry from the number of hours she had been unconscious.

"Prudence!" Phoebe gasped, turning to her daughter. "You're awake? You're awake!" Phoebe flung herself around the young girl who had been trying to sit up.

"Ooof – Mom! Geesh!"

"Hey kiddo," Paige said, a large grin coming to her face. "Good to have you back in the land of the conscious and hungry."

"Mom – Mom…..Mo-om, could you please get off me!" Prudence asked, exasperated.

Phoebe pulled back, "Sorry sweetie. It's just, well, we've just been so worried and now you're back!"

Prudence nodded and sat up. "Yeah – that was weird. I definitely had some crazy nightmares while I was out. What happened? Did a demon attack?"

Paige and Phoebe traded looks before Phoebe answered. "No demon attacked. Prudence –you've developed a new power – the ability to see past and alternate lives."

Prudence's face paled, "Oh, god – Chris…"

* * *

Author's Note: Okay - it's a bit shorter than my last update, but I hope you're pleased with it. Originally I had intended this story to go almost a complete 180 of where it's heading, but hey - that's how it wrote itself! I hope to get Chapter 16 up soon - just waiting for a little inspiration to swing my direction!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Paige watched the color drain away from her niece's face leaving a pale, ghostly complexion. She traded a glance with Phoebe – what had Prudence seen in her visions?

Phoebe gently reached out to her daughter, "Prudence, what is it? What did you see?"

Unbidden, images of a past, alternate Chris flowed through Prudence's mind. To Prudence, this boy – this man, had been real. She had lived through pieces of his life, had understood the suffering and anger that lived in his soul, and knew the confused love he coveted for his brother, the instigator of all his pain.

How would she be able to look at Chris the same ever again? Or Wyatt? Her family had always taught her that their powers were gifts. Despite the curse of demons, they were blessed with strong family connections and the ability to help others. But Prudence didn't want this…gift. What kind of gift robbed her of her two best friends? Tears began to fall. She felt the warm salty liquid trace down her cheek – Prudence didn't bother to wipe them away.

Phoebe squeezed Prudence's hand. "I know it's hard sweetie, but you've been given an incredible gift."

"NO!" Prudence shouted, unable to control her emotions. "NO! You don't know Mom! You don't know how he felt when his brother killed their mom right in front of him! You don't know the pain he lived each and every day hating his brother but loving him as well. You don't know the resentment he felt – the guilt or the anguish when he killed. You don't know! But I do – I KNOW!" She looked to the ceiling, "Take it back! I don't want your gift! I want my cousins – my best friends! Take it BACK!" Prudence buried her head in her lap, muffling her loud sobs.

Paige sank into the chair she had been standing next to.

Will ran into the living room, half-expecting to find a some warlock or demon threatening his family. "What's going on in here?"

Paige allowed her gaze to move from her niece curled against her sister. "Prudence woke up."

He frowned slightly, "That's good, right? So why was there yelling? I heard it all the way downstairs."

"It would appear that Prudence experienced part of alternate Chris' life," Paige replied.

Although Will had a dark olive complexion, he paled visibly and sat on the arm of the chair Paige was currently residing in. His wife and sister-in-laws had told him several years ago about the Chris from the future. He knew his death had triggered Leo's guilt – and eventual self-sacrifice. What he didn't know was how Prudence's new revelations were going to fit into the chaotic puzzle they were currently trying to piece together.

The adults sat in silence, consumed with thoughts and concerns as Prudence forced the last of her tears

Prudence managed to take control back of her emotions then turned to her mother and aunt. "You knew him." She said quietly, feeling the truth behind her statement. The two Charmed Ones traded a look over Prudence's head.

Phoebe met her daughter's gaze. "Yes."

"He must have come here to save Wyatt," Prudence muttered to herself quietly. "Does Chris know about his other self?" She asked.

Paige shook her head. "No. It was ultimately Leo and Piper's decision on whether or not to tell him. They wanted to protect Chris and Wyatt. They believed the boys never needed to know about the alternate Chris – or the alternate Wyatt."

"What happened to him?"

Phoebe looked down – over twenty years had passed since Chris had given his life for his family, but there was still a bruise on that place in her heart.

Prudence looked once again from Phoebe to Paige. "He died, didn't he? He sacrificed himself, right?"

"I think that's a question that Piper would best answer." Paige said quietly. "Last I knew she was going to write a spell that would hopefully take her to Leo – I don't think it would be the best time to disturb her."

Phoebe nodded in agreement, "Paige is right. I think Piper needs to tell you the story of our alternate Chris. In the meantime – why don't we get something to eat. It's after 9 p.m. and you haven't had anything since this morning. Still feel up to having some Indian?"

Pushing the pain of his life and her questions of the alternate Chris to the corners of her mind for another time, Prudence attempted to focus on the here and now. She nodded, just realizing how empty her stomach felt.

Paige pulled herself forward in the chair, gripping the very edges of the arms and readied herself for action. "Okay, Will – would go upstairs and ask the girls what they want? Prudence chose Indian for us earlier."

Will gave his wife a mock salute and headed for the stairs.

Paige continued, "Phoebe – you, uh – you stay here with Prudence for now. I'm headed to the kitchen for a phone." With marching orders given, Paige headed out.

"Hey Aunt Paige – don't forget to order those potato and pea dumpling-thingys!" Prudence called after her.

His long hair was still wet from the shower, water drops occasionally slid down his bare back only to be stopped at the towel wrapped around his waist. He was sitting, waiting patiently as Piper finished shaving the last bit of his beard away.

Piper… She hadn't left his side since she had found him in that abandoned warehouse. Hadn't risked letting him out of her sight. He wasn't going anywhere – he wanted to comfort her with that, but when he opened his mouth, the words would not come.

"There, all done. What do you think?" Piper asked, forcing a lightness into her voice.

Leo turned to the mirror and winced. The man staring back at him was a stranger – lost and confused. The man in the mirror was merely a shadow.

Piper noticed the reaction to his reflection. "Hey," she said softly, catching his chin with her hand and puling his gaze to hers. "One step at a time, right?"

Leo found himself nodding to her soft smile.

"Why don't we find you some clothes to wear?" Piper suggested, gently placing her hand around Leo's and pulled him towards the bedroom.

She made a motion for him to sit on the bed while she dug into her closet – a few moments later, Piper emerged with a pair of gray sweatpants and a plain white undershirt.

"Here you go," Piper said, handing the clothing to Leo. "You get dressed, and I'll be right back – I'm just going to clean up the bathroom quick, okay?"

There wasn't much to clean, but Piper wanted to keep her hands busy. "After I'm done, I'll go get us something to eat, okay?" There was silence, "Leo?" Piper poked her head around the door and saw Leo sprawled out on the bed, sound asleep. Piper smiled, took the blanket from the edge of the bed and placed it on top of him. She whispered, "I'll be right back Leo." And quietly left the room.

At the moment, Wyatt was up to his neck in teenagers. He watched from behind the bar as the 16 to 20 crowd bumped, wiggled, jumped and shoved each other around on the dance floor – nothing they were doing remotely resembled dancing. Wyatt shook his head as a kid scooted past trying to do the ancient "lawnmower" dance move, these kids really needed better role models.

"Hey, cuz – can I get a soda?" Perry asked, plunking himself down on a barstool and interrupting Wyatt's musings.

Wyatt turned to his cousin, who, in all reality was another younger brother. "Sure – you want that straight up, or on the rocks with a twist?"

The corner of Perry's mouth pulled up in a half-smirk, this was Wyatt's sense of humor – sad as it may be. "Straight up, but I'll have the twist."

"Coming right up." As Wyatt filled a glass, he snuck a glance at Perry. "Having a good time?"

Perry nodded – "Yeah. DJ is pretty cool."

Wyatt put the soda with lime in front of his cousin. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

Wyatt narrowed his eyes and bent over, resting his forearms on the edge of the polished bar. "Perry – the next time you lie, don't lie to someone whose got a built-in b.s. detector. Now – what's going on?"

Perry wiggled in his seat and looked at his drink. If he told Wyatt what Puck was up to, he'd be labeled a squealer and his best friend would never trust him again. However, this was Wyatt – and he looked up to him more than anything in the world. His eyes flickered to Wyatt's gaze and then landed back on his drink. "I – I can't say."

An alarm went off in Wyatt's head. Cautiously, the older witch darted his eyes around the club – he didn't see Perry's troublemaking friend Puck anywhere. "Perry – where's Puck?"

The question had barely had time to hang in the air before the entire club was consumed with blackness. All of the teens that were packed in the club instantly began screaming. Wyatt sighed, "Never mind…"

_Leo lay on the bed, half covered by the blanket Piper had gently lain on top of him. his eyes fluttered wildly and his head began to turn…_

_The hatred coursing through his veins made him stronger and with a final yell of rage, he drove the blade through the demon. As the Evil dissolved to ash, Leo dropped the blade from his hand. The cool metal clanged against the stone of the ground beneath him._

_He felt the poison of Excalibur seeping into his magic. But he was weak from the fight and his soul was filled with sorrow and desperation – two emotions that are irresistible to Evil. He fought, but was quickly overpowered. Memories and visions of Piper and their sons danced through his mind, their happiness and love tortured his heart with every beat. Throwing his head back he wailed with desperate agony._

_And then – then there was nothing. Silence roared against his ears as the Darkness consumed him – body and mind. It was all he saw, all he could think of. He stalked the Darkness and the Darkness stalked him. He would never escape from this agony. He was damned to the Darkness for eternity._

_Damned. For eternity…_

The food had arrived; and as usual, Paige had ordered way too much. The kitchen island was covered with takeout containers of all shapes and sizes. Phoebe, Paige, Will and Prudence were all sitting around the kitchen table silently eating. The background was filled with half-sounds of the television program Veve and Melly were watching in the conservatory. Normally the girls weren't allowed to eat while watching t.v. – but Paige hadn't wanted either of them to overhear any conversation about Leo or Prudence's visions; and since Phoebe or Will hadn't questioned her decision, she was sure they were all on the same page.

"So," Will broke the silence, "Anyone feel like watching a movie tonight? I think there's a Hitchcock marathon on one of the movie channels."

Paige darted a glance to Prudence, then gave her husband an abbreviated Look. It was the look that after 20 years of marriage still made Will's blood run cold in his veins – even the abbreviated version. Deciding it was best to be silent, Will turned his attention to the curry on his plate.

"Something smells really good – whoa, Prudence!" Piper stopped mid-sentence noticing her niece was conscious. A smile flickered across Piper's face for a second before turning into a light frown. "Wait, a – alright, what's wrong? Demon? One of Perry's pranks? Someone possessed? Did we get someone else's take-out order?"

Paige shook her head, "Nope. Wrong on all four accounts. Why don't you get a plate and take a seat for a little bit Piper."

Piper looked at each of the four around the table. "Seriously guys – I don't have time for you to break the bad news to me easily. Leo's upstair – "

"Whoa, Leo's here?!"

"You found him?!"

"Is he okay?"

"Is there anything we can do?"

"How is he feeling?"

"What's he doing now?"

"When can we see him?"

The four diners suddenly came to life. Their voices, crackling with energy, talked over and through the others – desperate for their question to be answered.

Piper put her hands up to stop the onslaught of questions. "Guys! Please! Chill out. Yes, he's here, but he's not okay. Leo – " Piper took a breath to steady her voice before continuing. "He's not himself. I found him in an abandoned warehouse – he, um, vanquished a gang member. But it's not his fault! He doesn't know who he is. He's forgotten. Ever since – "

Paige reached a hand out and placed it on Piper's. "We understand honey, you don't have to tell us."

"Yeah, some of us understand a little too well," Prudence muttered bitterly. "Ow!"

Phoebe pulled her leg back from kicking Prudence under the table. "Is Leo hungry? Were you getting him a snack?"

"Nice try Pheebs – but I'm not distracted that easily. What do you mean Prudence?"

She hesitated for a moment, mouth partially open, unsure of what to tell her aunt. Obviously Piper was distraught over Leo and his current actions. But she needed answers. "I saw Chris' past life. Actually – I didn't just see it, I lived bits and pieces of it with him. I know that when he was 14 you, and Mom and Aunt Paige were killed – by Wyatt. I know when he was 18 when the rest of his family was murdered. I know Wyatt made him kill witches. I know he dug each and every one of our graves by himself. I know he promised you he would save our family. I know this is a really bad time, but I need to know what happened to him. I need to know that he had a happy ending."

Piper gripped Paige's hand to steady herself. Silence consumed the kitchen and its occupants. Several moments later Piper's sharp intake of air broke the quiet. Piper released her sister's hand, pulled a chair up to the table and focused on Prudence.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that past life Prudence. I'm sorry anyone did. Shortly after Wyatt was born, Chris came to the past. At first, he claimed it was to save us from the Titans, but after many months we finally learned the truth. Chris had traveled to the past to prevent his brother from turning evil and save his family. And he did – he ensured our future with his life." Piper blinked away her tears before continuing. "Our Chris is exactly like him – looks like him, talks like him, he even has the same neurotic tendencies." A half-smile played upon Piper's lips. "But Chris is also the complete opposite of him. He doesn't have the sadness, the rough edge in his voice, the anger..." Piper's voice trailed off, remembering the man her son was. Paige reached out her hand to Piper and grabbed her hand, giving Piper needed the extra reassurance and strength she needed with a squeeze. "We never told any of you kids about this because it was in the past, because we didn't want to burden you with the knowledge of a life that could of happened – there are too many more important things in life to focus on." 

Prudence sat, her fork resting on her dinner plate, forgotten. "Don't you think Chris and Wyatt have a right to know what happened Aunt Piper? Whether they – or you – like it or not, it's part of their history, it helped shape them into the individuals they are today."

Piper nodded her head. "I never wanted to tell them Prudence. I never wanted to damage the bond they share - magically and as brothers. But I know that now, with your new power and what you have witnessed, they have to know. But I will tell them – in my own time – the right time."

Prudence opened her mouth to object, there never seemed to be a "good time" to drop a bombshell in this family - especially one as big as this one. There was always a magical malady or a demon popping out of the underworld for there to ever be a "good time" – but there was something in Piper's voice that made her shut her mouth as soon as she opened it. That the empathic "kick-in-the-leg" she had just received from her mom made her think twice. Instead, Prudence nodded in agreement with Piper. After all, Piper couldn't keep this to herself forever - at least, if Prudence had anything to say about it, she wouldn't...

_Leo suddenly found himself in a long hallway flanked on each side by doorways. He looked at the first door to his right – it was numbered: one. Leo reached his hand to the door knob but then pulled back. This door didn't feel right. He began to walk down the hallway, finally he stopped in front of the door numbered 42. He loosed the door from the frame and took a step forward, only to find himself in the past._

_Mortars crashed all around them. They were pinned in the crumbling ruins of another decimated city. He and the rest of the medical team were doing the best they could but there were few supplies and too many wounded. And then Nathan was brought in on a stretcher – his brother Rcik right next to him. After all the men Leo had watched die – either on the battlefield or in the operating room, death should not have surprised him. But it did, and he was stunned. Disbelieving that death seemed to want Nathan – no, no – not Nathan. The three of them had joined together, vowing to protect the world from hatred, believing to be invincible._

_But there wasn't much Leo could do. He didn't have the proper tools, medicine or time to give to Nathan – but there were plenty of medics here that would be able to help him. There were dozens more men needing his attention on the battlefield and no medic to help them._

_Rick accused him of deserting Nathan in his time of need. He argued with Leo – no life on that field was as valuable as Rick's – as his brother's. But Leo saw the value of all of them. He turned his back to give his attention to other fallen soldiers and in that split second – two of the most important people in his life – his world – were gone. A mortar crashed through the makeshift hospital roof, instantly killing his two best friends. No! No! NO!_

_"NO!" Leo woke with a start, sitting straight up in the bed. For a moment, he was confused – but then it came rushing back to him. He was responsible for the deaths of Nathan and Rick. He shouldn't have turned his back…_

Piper opened the bedroom door and stepped inside, balancing a tray of light snacks on her left arm. "Leo?" She questioned the room softly. Glancing up, she noticed him awake, red-faced with sweat and trying to catch his breath. "Leo?" She asked, alarm creeping into her voice. "Leo? Leo – what's wrong?"

He looked to her – but saw straight through her. His mind playing the vision of Nathan and Rick's deaths over and over.

Piper sat down on the bed next to Leo and hesitantly took his hands in her own. His green eyes were filled with pain. "Leo – tell me, what's wrong?"

He pulled his hands away as if her touch had scalded him and leapt from the bed. He stood, trembling, arms crossed in the corner closest to the window. "St-St-Stay away." He stuttered.

Piper was very confused – she had been gone for an hour – what had happened in – and then it hit her. The first time Leo had returned to them from the Underworld he had had horrific nightmares and visions that he fought through. It seemed as if he would have to fight through them again. She stood and approached Leo very cautiously. "Leo, did you have a nightmare?"

He didn't know what to do – he wanted to stay: in that room, with Piper, with his family – but he didn't want to hurt them. He, and he alone was responsible. Leo refused to fail them – again.

"I – I'm sorry Piper." Was all he said before fading from the safety of her and their room.

Hi All! I'm back! Thank you for those who have been faithful and sent me little e-mails to inspire my writing once again. I promise to update regularly until the end of the story! Nor more year-long hiatus' for me! Thanks again! Miss.


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